Gilmore Guys
by Liz-Beth520
Summary: Gender Swap! Luke Gilmore comes from a rich Hartford family. After his girlfriend ran off at 16, he is a single dad to his son Roy. Lorelai Danes grew up in Stars Hollow & turned her dad's hardware store into a café: Latte Lorelai. Luke & Lorelai are friends who help & support each other with family issues, relationships, & crazy town events. AU/JavaJunkie/currently between S1 & S2
1. August: The Letter

**Hi all! I'm back with a new story. Unlike my other one, I don't have all of the chapters written yet. Because of that, I'll be posting** ** **sporadically.****

 **And if you haven't read it, my first Gilmore Girls fanfic is called "Butterflies Cause Hurricanes." Check it out!**

 **Premise: Basically, Luke has Lorelai's back story and Lorelai has Luke's. Roy, Luke's son, is basically a polite Jess/male Rory. Luke is 32 and Lorelai is 28, Roy is 15. [Update 5/8: Sokka is the male version of Sookie. And Cassy is the female version of Caesar]  
**

 **Luke Gilmore is a single dad to his son Roy after his girlfriend ran off at 16. He manages the Independence Inn & frequents Lorelai's café. Small-town Lorelai Danes is the sunshine of Stars Hollow. She turned her dad's hardware store into a café: Latte Lorelai. She cheerfully serves all of Stars Hollow. Luke & Lorelai are best friends, ignoring their feelings. AU/JavaJunkie/Set in season 1.**

* * *

 **August, 2000: The Letter  
**

As his alarm went off, Luke rolled out of bed. He missed the time when summer meant fun and parties, not waking up at 7:00 to get to work. He walked down stairs, already hearing his son's music playing as the teen got ready.

Luke Gilmore got his girlfriend pregnant when they were 16. After giving birth to Roy, Rachel refused Luke's proposal and ran away, leaving Luke with the baby. Rachel didn't see her son again until Roy was in kindergarten. Luke and Roy were very close; they loved the same music and they shared the same hobbies, which included movie marathons, videogames, and not cooking. That's what the café was for. Luke was one of the first customers to eat at _Latte Lorelai_ , Lorelai Danes' café.

As Luke sat in his kitchen, drinking tea and looking at the mail, he heard his 15 year-old son come out of the bedroom next to the kitchen.

"Morning, Dad," Roy said, dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and ripped under the armpits. He pointed to the pile of mail on the table. "Did it come?" Roy was talking about an acceptance letter from Chilton, a prestigious prep school that would be Roy's ticket into Harvard. Roy had the grades, but Luke didn't have the money.

"Sorry kid, maybe tomorrow," Luke said. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure," Roy was obviously disappointed, but it was rare for transfer students on the waitlist to be selected a couple weeks before school started. Luke straightened his tie and grabbed his suit jacket before following his son out the door.

* * *

Every morning, Lorelai woke up at 5:45 on the dot, despite being a night person. She put on one of her dad's old flannel shirts. She tied her frizzy curls back into a low ponytail then put on one of her many hats on her head to keep her hair out of her face. Then she would go downstairs to open her café. That day was no different.

Lorelai Danes was the daughter of Stars Hollow. She grew up there, went to school, participated in sports, was prom queen, and was voted 'Most Likely to Succeed.' Emily, her mom, died when she was in elementary school. Lorelai had to stay strong for her dad and her sister, Liz, and got used to holding all of her feelings inside. Without a constant female role model, Lorelai became a sort-of tomboy, and Liz became rebellious. Liz got pregnant right after she graduated high school, and moved in with an aunt upstate. Their dad owned a hardware store, Richard's Hardware, until he passed a year before Lorelai graduated from the University of Connecticut in Mansfield.

"Good morning," Lorelai greeted as the Gilmore guys entered the café.

"Morning," Luke said shortly as the pair sat at the counter. Luke's daily paper was waiting for him at their usual spot.

"Morning," Roy said like his father, lacking his usual smile.

"Well, you seem to be having a bad morning. What gives?" Lorelai asked them.

"The letter hasn't come," Roy explained. Lorelai nodded.

"Awe kid, that sucks. It'll come, don't worry about it. I know what'll make you feel better: Coffee," she said, holding a pot of her special roast. She looked at Luke, expecting his daily refusal.

"Lorelai, for six years you've been offering me coffee. And for six years, I have declined. Why do you keep asking?" Sometimes he just said no thanks, but on his less-than-good days, Lorelai received a small rant.

"In case you change your mind," she said with a sweet smile. Luke glared at her, making her smile more. "Your tea will be right up. Roy, coffee?"

"Yes please," he said, nudging an empty mug toward her. Lorelai had converted Roy a couple of years ago from tea to coffee, much to Luke's dislike, which made it more fun. Lorelai poured the coffee and set up Luke's mug with a tea bag and hot water.

"What'll you have to eat?" She asked, order pad at the ready.

"What did you make today?" Roy asked, eager to get his hands on something fresh, warm, and sweet.

"Cranberry scones, apple cinnamon buns, and the usual cookies were baked this morning. I just made muffins an hour ago, chocolate chip and blueberry. And you know the regular menu. Oh, and I have cranberry pancakes for the special today."

"I'll take a cranberry scone, scrambled eggs, and bacon please," Roy ordered, earning a look from Luke. "And a side of fruit," Roy added. Luke didn't know how his son could eat so poorly, but he knew a certain café owner was partially to blame. Lorelai wrote it down and looked at Luke.

"Your usual?" Lorelai asked. Luke nodded as he read the paper. It was a slow morning, so Lorelai got started on their food. Luke and Roy talked about school and work and the cute new girl in town, Dawn.

"Wait," Lorelai budded in when she came back with their food on a tray, "is she the tall brunette that just started working at Doose's?"

"Yeah that's her," Roy said with a small blush. Lorelai thought his young love was adorable.

"Oh, she's a cutie," Lorelai said, setting the tray down.

"Yeah, she's the reason he's awake before 10:00," Luke explained.

"Really?" Lorelai smiled.

"Well the guys and I were going to the lake today anyway, but she has to work at 11:00, so we agreed to meet there at 8:00," Roy's face was turning red. Luke's did the same thing whenever an uncomfortable topic came up. Lorelai leaned in closer to Roy.

"In a month, ask her to the Autumn festival, and when you go, bring her in here and I'll make some apple cider."

"Stop trying to play match maker," Luke scolded, but Lorelai didn't take it for truth.

"Sorry, Miss Patty and Babette keep trying to pair me up with someone, maybe it's rubbing off."

"Yeah, Lorelai, how would you know what girls like anyway?" Roy asked.

"Because I am a girl. I'm actually a woman, which means I used to be a girl, which means I have a life time of knowledge. Under this layer of pastry dough and cooking grease, I am 100% female."

"When was the last time you went on a date?" Roy asked, causing Luke to look up from the paper. Lorelai put her hand on her hip.

"Now what kind of father raised you to ask a question like that? Definitely not this one," she gestured to Luke. "He minds his business, as he should."

"He does but you don't," Roy countered. "You know everything about us because you, ma'am, are nosy," Roy accused as Lorelai smirked, nodding in agreement. She enjoyed their daily banters. It started because Luke and Lorelai would bicker all the time, but now Roy had taken over Luke's spot.

"Fair enough, I have taught you well in the ways of argument, _Kemosabe_. My last date was last week, thank you very much."

"Is there going to be another one?" Luke found himself asking. Lorelai laughed.

"Of course not, do you know me at all?" Lorelai asked. Because she grew up worrying about her parents and her sister and everyone else, Lorelai rarely took time for herself. After her high school boyfriend Christopher, who left to backpack through Europe after graduation, Lorelai hadn't dated anyone longer than two weeks. Every six months to two years or so, Chris would pop up, stay a week or three, then leave again. She wanted to stop falling for him, but she couldn't help it. When he was gone, so were the feelings. But when he came back, the feelings returned with him.

"Just wondering," Luke defended. Roy gave his dad a confused look.

"Well how about you? When was your last date?" Lorelai asked, trying to look busy by starting a new pot of coffee. Luke shook his head.

"Patty set me up with this woman from New Haven a month ago, it didn't work out," Luke said, trying to avoid oversharing. As he ate his oatmeal, he tasted the familiar flavors she added. Whenever he made oatmeal, he could never make it taste as good as Lorelai's.

"I gotta get to the lake, bye Dad," Roy said, looking at his watch. Roy gathered his things and stood up to leave.

"Bye kid," Luke said, handing Roy the book forgotten on the counter. Roy departed, leaving Lorelai and Luke alone at the counter.

"Hey, can you come by today? The porch railing is starting to wobble again," Luke asked. His father, William Gilmore, wasn't much for physical labor. _'That's why God created repairmen,'_ William would say. Because of that influence, Luke never learned anything about tools or fixing anything. Lorelai, on the other hand, learned everything about home repairs from her father. If she wasn't at the café, she was probably fixing something around town.

"Luke, I've told you a thousand time: quit with the gymnastics off your porch! I know you're trying to perfect your dismount, but your porch isn't made for that," Lorelai fake scolded. "Actually, that's my bad. I used cheaper stuff for a temporary fix and planned to get back to it. But, you know me, I forgot."

"You didn't forget," Luke said as he took a bite of the fruit cup she had assembled specifically for him, it had extra strawberries. Lorelai gave him a look.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"Oh, no," Luke got flustered, thinking he offended her. "I meant that you're just busy. But also, you've been fixing up my house for years, I should have learned how to do it by now."

"Dirty," Lorelai beamed at him. He was about to start but she waved her hand. "Nope, sorry, never again," Lorelai 'promised' a while ago to stop making the _dirty_ jokes.

"You always say that. Besides, your dismounting comment deserved a _dirty_ as well," Luke pointed.

"I try to abstain, but it's too fun," Lorelai winked to Luke's rolling eyes. "Anyway, the railing is no problem, I'll come by this afternoon, around 3 to fix it. Will you be home?" She asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"No," Luke said, "There's a wedding at the Inn this weekend and the bride is crazy and Michelle has given up."

"She couldn't handle the bride?"

"No she couldn't because _et waz geeving her a_ _headache_. Michelle tried for ten minutes before leaving everything on me. And because of that, I won't be back here today. I should be around for dinner tomorrow."

"Good, I'm making a new special then. Pesto pasta, served warm or chilled, with a side of bread and veggies."

"Wow, I'm impressed. It doesn't sound like it'll clog my arteries."

"Yeah, I decided that if I wanted you to eat something besides salads, BLTs, fruit, and oatmeal, I had to change it up a bit," Lorelai said, admitting she came up with the dish just for him. But he didn't pick up on the dedication.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he started, peeking her interest. "What do you put in the oatmeal? I can never make it as good as this," He inquired, sounding more flirty than anticipated. Lorelai looked around.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked. Luke nodded. Lorelai leaned over the counter, close enough to his face so she could whisper in his ear. Luke felt his face blush at the proximity.

"Family recipe, sorry," she whispered. She stood back and smirked at him. Luke rolled his eyes, finished the rest of the oatmeal, drank the last of his tea, and got up to pay.

"Here you go," Luke said, handing her the money.

"So I'll see you later?" Lorelai asked, looking up at him under the bill of her hat.

"Yeah, see you later," he said before walking out the door.

Lorelai watched him go. She'd known him all these years. She knows his favorite foods, his habits, his favorite music. She knew everything about him. Except if he was into her. Lorelai would never admit it, but the reason her dates never go further than the first or second date is because of him. Lorelai was infatuated with the idea of him, but had doubts about going for it for real. She was pinning, and she was comfortable, and she didn't care.

* * *

That afternoon, Lorelai left the diner in the hands of Cassy and Trevor, then went to Luke's house. It was a nice enough house, but the previous owner let it go to shit. Lorelai named it the Crap Shack the first time she saw it, and Luke couldn't disagree. She walked up to the front door and knocked. There was no answer, which was no surprise. Roy was most likely still at the lake or running around town, and Luke said he was working, so Lorelai tried the door knob.

"Unlocked, really boys?" She muttered to herself as it opened easily. She went inside to check up on the faucet she replaced a few weeks back. On her way out to the porch, she met Luke at the door.

"What are you doing in my house?"

"It was unlocked."

"So? That doesn't mean that you can just come traipsing in here whenever you want?" Luke knew he didn't really mean that. She had put so much work into the house that

"I was checking your sink. Can I get to work?"

"Yeah, fine," he said, letting her pass. She brushed his shoulder as she scooted out the door, giving him a warm feeling he tried to ignore. He went inside and grabbed a pitcher of iced tea he had made the day before. He poured two glasses, leaving half of Lorelai's to fill with lemonade. She never accepted money, so it was the least he could do. If he learned anything from his mother, it was to be a proper host.

"How was the café today?" He asked, setting the drinks on the small table on the porch. Lorelai was standing on the stairs, replacing studs like a it was her day job.

"Oh, you know, normal. Busy over breakfast and lunch. Weston's was closed today, so there were these old ladies, you know, the ones that knit all day?"

"The Knit Wits, continue," Luke nodded, smiling at the five older ladies who were rarely seen without needles and yarn. They named themselves and even knitted matching sweaters that looked like sports jerseys with 'Knit Wit' and their name on the back.

"They came in and ordered tea and scones for three hours. Three hours these ladies were in my place, gossiping and knitting and eating! Every ten minutes, I was refilling tea. I had to make more scones for those women! How can a half dozen old women eat two dozen scones? I had to call Trevor in early so I could spend a straight hour making scones for the ladies, and then they left as soon as I pulled them out of the oven!" While she was speaking, Lorelai hopped the railing and started securing it on the other side.

"So just a normal day?" Luke loved to listen to her rant. Her rants were often the high light of his day. She was such a happy person, which made her rants even better.

"Yeah basically," she said, smiling up at him from her squatting position. A few minutes later, she was done. She joined Luke on the porch, sitting on the folding chairs.

"Thanks," she said, sipping the Arnold Palmer. "How was the Inn?"

"Don't get me started," Luke started. Lorelai settled in for a mini-rant herself. "This bride is the devil spawn. First, the carpet in the hall was the wrong color. Then the wallpaper didn't match the bridesmaids dresses. Before I left, she was telling-not asking-me to repaint the exterior. The whole inn needed to be a blue-ish white, not cream-ish! Who does that? I swear to God that woman is on a mission and that mission is to make everyone involved in her wedding miserable. Her groom? Miserable. Her mother? Bridesmaids? The florist? Sokka? Miserable!"

"No! Not Sokka! God, he's accident prone already, stress only makes that worse," Lorelai said. She and Sokka had been friends since high school. When they were sophomores, Sokka came out, telling Lorelai that he was gay. He worried that it could ruin the friendship, but it brought them closer together. They had each other's backs for two decades, and their friendship only got stronger as the years went by. 10 years ago when Sokka started working at the Inn, he met Luke. Instantly, he thought that Luke was perfect for Lorelai. Sokka tried to get Luke to come into town for years. But Luke never had a reason until Lorelai opened the café. Sokka insisted on him going to town for an errand around lunch, and suggested the café.

"Yeah, he sliced his hand when he was preparing the practice salad for the bride. She was yelling at him and he lost focus and almost lost a finger. It was awful," Luke said, shaking his head.

"That man is going to end up in the hospital one of these days," Lorelai said. She looked at her watch. "Shit, gotta go, the early bird special is about to start."

"What are you making for them tonight?"

"The dinner special is a flatbread pizza, but the texture is too tough for the old people, so I'm making them onion soup and soft cheese bread."

"That doesn't sound bad," he said. She stood up.

"Do you know how much sodium is in beef broth?" She asked and Luke shook his head. "If you did, you wouldn't want it anywhere near you."

"I'll take your word for it," he said. "I gotta get back too. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Unless you found a better place to eat."

"I'll see you then," he grumbled, but with a his typical half smile. He stood on his porch and watched his best friend walk away. Over the years, he tried his best to ignore his feelings for her. He'd use excuses like "You only like her because she's convenient. She feeds you, that's it. She's 28, she wouldn't date a guy with a 16 year-old son."

Despite his efforts, Luke still felt something for her. He didn't know if it was just really good friendship or if it was something more. He basically answered himself when he realized he felt disappointed when she was out of view.

* * *

"Dad!" Roy shouted as he entered the café the next day around 10. Rory had just ran from his house to the café, waving the envelope around before realizing the guy at the counter wasn't Luke. They planned to catch a late breakfast that day.

"Roy!" Lorelai returned. "He's not here, what up, buttercup?"

"It came!" He said, holding up a white envelope.

"The letter? That's great!"

"Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't send a letter saying I was still on the waiting list, right?"

"Right," she nodded. "Your dad should be here soon."

"I guess the bride at the Inn is a little coo-coo," Roy said.

"Yeah, he was complaining about her yesterday."

"He threatened that if my future wife was anything like that, he would disown me," Roy said as his dad entered the café.

"Why am I disowning you this time?" Luke said, walking up to the counter. Lorelai noticed the stressed look on his face.

"You'll disown me if I marry a bridezilla."

"Oh yeah, I'd disown you. You too, Lorelai, if you're a closeted crazy, I'd disown you as well. Both of you, I'm begging that when you get married, please do not have it at the Inn. I can't stand weddings anymore," Luke said, and a quick image of her in a wedding dress appeared in his thoughts.

"Thanks for saying _when_ I get married, not _if_ ," Lorelai chuckled to herself. "The special for you two?" They both nodded. "Coffee?" She asked Luke.

"I'd like some coffee please," Roy ordered.

"No, it's too late for coffee," Luke scolded. Before Roy could retaliate, Lorelai spoke out.

"Roy," she said with a large grin. "The letter."

"Oh yeah. Dad! The letter came today."

"Open it," Luke encouraged. And sure enough, Roy was accepted. The father and son were caught up in talking about the school, telling Lorelai all about it, that they barely noticed that food had magically appeared in front of them. Luke forgot to get after Lorelai for giving his son coffee.

"Rorerai," Roy said after stuffing his face with the pasta. Luke nudged him, telling Roy to finish chewing before speaking. "This is really good."

"Thanks, Sokka gave me a vegan cookbook as a joke, but it had some good stuff in there."

"This is vegan?" Luke asked.

"Hell no, it's got cheese and cream, and there's glutton in the pasta too," she said. "Me? Make something vegan? Who do you think I am?" Lorelai laughed as she went around the room, refilling water and coffee while taking orders. On her way back to the counter, she noticed the envelope.

"Rockwell?" She read off the address.

"What?" Roy answered.

"Your name is Rockwell?"

"Yeah, you didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't. How did I not know your real name? It's a very interesting name, your choosing?" She asked Luke, not wanting to offend them.

"No, my dad's," he said. She gave him a look, prompting him to give a secret away. "My dad chose Rockwell as my middle name after Norman Rockwell."

"It's a good thing he gave you Rockwell, not Norman. We'd have an ironic 'boy's best friend is his mother' situation going on," Lorelai referenced _Psycho_. Luke nodded with her, also relieved that wasn't the case.

"Yeah, my dad is obsessed with World War II. He has guns, books, clothing, and paintings. You know that Rockwell had these paintings, the Four Freedoms, right? Well my dad has canvased replicas of them in his study."

"And you passed the name down to your son," she finished his story. Luke nodded. "That's actually a really nice story. If I had a kid, I'd be so doped up after giving birth that I'd probably end up naming her Lorelai."

"Oh god," Luke muttered, "two of you."

"Yeah," she leaned against the counter. "Imagine, me and my clone. Both of us, living to pester you to no end, forcing coffee down your throat. There'd be two of us, so I'd hold you down and she'd pour." Luke hated that he couldn't get the image of Lorelai holding him down out of his head. He wished his mind didn't go to that place all the time, but he couldn't help it.

"I think you're the only Lorelai this town could handle," he said. There was a glint in his eye as he spoke, and Lorelai did her best to keep composure. Something about his blue eyes always distracted her.

The boys finished eating and took some leftover scones to-go.

"Have a good night," Lorelai said after Luke paid. "And congratulations, Roy, you deserve it."

"Bye Lorelai," Roy waved.

"See you tomorrow," Luke said. Lorelai smiled at him and watched them leave.

"Honey," Miss Patty grabbed Lorelai's attention. Miss Patty ran a dance studio in the renovated barn off the square. That's also where town meetings are held.

"Do you need your bill?" Lorelai asked. She walked over to where Miss Patty and Babette, Luke's neighbor, were sitting.

"Lorelai, dear, what are you waiting for?"

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked, fully aware of where this conversation was going. Sometimes it was easier to play dumb.

"Lorelai, you need to ask him out already," Patty encouraged.

"Roy? I don't know, he's a little young. Maybe after he graduates high school," Lorelai joked.

"She means Luke, Sugah," Babette said.

"I know what she meant. And no, I'm not going to. We're just friends," Lorelai said, picking up their empty plates and walking away.

"Friends don't check out their friend's butts," she heard Patty say to Babette. Of course they were right. Of course Lorelai had a thing for Luke, who wouldn't? But Lorelai would never ask out Luke. She knew he didn't like her in that way, that they were just friends. And she wasn't going to ruin that. She wanted to be there for him anyway she could.

* * *

Luke, after talking with the Chilton financial office that afternoon, realized that he needed to ask his parents for money. After a huge argument with his mother, they figured out a plan. Luke explained everything Roy that on their way to the café.

"We don't see them that much, so your grandparents are going to loan us the money in exchange for weekly dinners," Luke explained. "Is that okay with you?"

"Definitely, I'd like to get to know them, especially since I'll be going to school close by," Roy admitted, not wanting to tell his dad that he secretly had always wanted to spend more time with them.

The two were caught up in conversation as they sat at a table in the back, waiting for Lorelai to come around. They didn't notice when she approached them until she spoke.

"What can I get you two handsome men today?" Lorelai greeted in her usual cheerful voice. Luke's eyes slowly followed Lorelai's body until he met her gaze. She was wearing a pencil skirt, a dark blue silky blouse, and her hair was smooth and long against her shoulders. He almost didn't recognize her without the hat and ponytail. Luke couldn't remember the last time he saw Lorelai in something other than jeans and a t-shirt.

"Lorelai, um, you look nice," he said.

"Oh, thanks. I had a meeting at the bank today. Surprisingly, they aren't big fans of Metallica t-shirts, greasy jeans, or baseball caps, who knew?" She joked. Her meeting was earlier that afternoon, but Lorelai knew Luke was coming in for dinner, so she kept her nice clothes on. She wanted to impress Luke, maybe edge him toward thinking about her as more than a friend.

"Well you look nice," Luke said. "Your hair looks good down," he said, trying to compliment her without being weird.

"Thanks," she blushed. "It takes forever to brush through, so I usually just put it back," she said. They shared a look for a moment before Roy started telling her his order.

For the duration of dinner, Lorelai caught Luke looking at her more than normal. She enjoyed the attention, but thought that if she needed to dress special for him to notice her, then he wasn't worth it. She liked the experiment, but reality set in.

* * *

On their walk home after they finished their meal, Roy asked his father,

"Do you like Lorelai?"

"Of course I do, she's my best friend."

"You know that's not what I mean. I mean romantically, _like_ like her."

"No, I do not, why would you ask that?"

"Tonight you couldn't stop staring at her," Roy said with a coy smile.

"She looked different, it took a while to get used to," Luke said, trying to talk himself out of what he felt when he saw her. It wasn't the clothes that changed his mind. It was the fact that he missed the old clothes. Sure, she looked great, but he thought she looked beautiful in flannel. Though he liked her hair down, that's a definite.

"Are you sure? Because I wouldn't mind if you went out. We might save a couple bucks on food that way," he nudged his dad, who proceeded to put Roy in a head lock. Roy struggled as his dad laughed maniacally.

"Drop it, kid. Nothing is going to happen between me and Lorelai. We're just friends. Besides, she doesn't feel that way about me."

"Please," Roy said sarcastically, trying to get out of his dad's hold. "She's been crushing hard, everyone knows that." Luke released his son.

"No, that's just gossip. Just drop it. Don't you have homework or something?" Luke asked. Roy sighed, knowing his dad was right. Roy would never admit it, but he always saw Lorelai as a motherly figure. She cooked him food, she helped him and his dad out, she took care of him when he had the chicken pox and Luke had to work. They were like a little family.

Luke walked up the steps of his house, holding on to the railing Lorelai fixed the day before. She had put so much time and effort into that house, it felt that she was apart of it. He could look at anything in the house, the table, the couch, the windows, anything and he would think of Lorelai. Luke was convinced that thoughts like that were a subconscious way for his brain to trick him into thinking he liked her. But they were friends, best friends.

* * *

 **So there it is! I have a feeling that the chapters will be approx. 3-5,000 words on average, so about twice as long as the chapters from my other story.  
**

 **So far, Luke and Lorelai have swapped genders/stories, as well as Roy basically being a male Rory, Sokka is Sookie, etc. Do you have any other characters you want gender swapped?  
**

 **If you have a specific episode you want me to swap, I can probably make it work.**

 **As always, if you have any suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know!**


	2. October Part 1: Rachel

**Thank you all for the great reviews, follows, and faves! I'm slowly making progress developing the story, and the encouragement helps.  
**

 **Secondary Character Gender Swaps:  
** **Caesar = Cassy [first chapter updated]**  
 ** **Dean = Dawn**  
Sookie is officially Sokka (any _Avatar: Last Airbender_ fans appreciate the Suki/Sokka connection?)** ** **  
**Lane is now Levi, which is a Biblical name and I think Mrs. Kim would approve.  
Michel is Michelle [first chapter updated]  
**

 **So if you haven't realized it, the characters will be a little OOC. The main characters, Luke and Lorelai, will be as close to their original personalities from the show, save the fact that Lorelai can cook and Luke can't fix anything. And obvs, as this chapter's title says, Rachel makes an appearance. She is very OOC compared to the TV show. I just imagined her as one of the preppy, shallow, entitled girls Lorelai probably grew up with in the show.  
**

 **Alright, so we got the thank yous given out, the genders situated, and we know that Rachel is a bitch (in my story). Let's get into the story!**

* * *

 **October [Part 1: Rachel]  
**

It was a couple of days before his birthday when Roy was walking with his dad to the cafe. Only Luke was going to eat because Roy was meeting up with Dawn. She couldn't make it to his birthday party at the end of the week, so they were going to get ice cream after she finished her shift.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Roy asked his dad as they sat at the counter at Lorelai's. It was a present for Dawn: a leather bracelet Roy made her by hand.

"She'll love it, trust me," Luke said, giving the leather band a nod of approval. Lorelai popped over, offering coffee and pouring tea.

"What is this gorgeous thing?" Lorelai asked, picking up the bracelet from the counter.

"It's for Dawn," Roy blushed.

"Wait, isn't it your birthday this week? Shouldn't _she_ be giving _you_ something?"

"Well my birthday is the same day as our one month anniversary," Roy said with a small smile.

"That's a big deal," Lorelai said. "But important question: Where did you get the bracelet? Because I want twelve," Lorelai gushed.

"He made it," Luke smiled at his son. "He's got it bad."

"I'd say, girls love that kind of stuff. Flowers, chocolate, jewelry are the cliché trio, which is pretty accurate," Lorelai said.

"I don't remember the last time I gave anyone flowers," Luke said. "Definitely not jewelry."

"Well I'm glad your son has better romantic skills than you," Lorelai smirked at him. "Coffee?" She asked. He declined and asked for his usual. Lorelai left to get his order in.

"I see Dawn outside. I'll be home later," Roy said before hopping off the chair and rushing outside.

"What have you ever given a guy?" Luke asked Lorelai when she returned with his food.

"Excuse me?" Lorelai feigned offense. "You do not ask a lady that." Luke's face turned red in embarrassment. They could talk about anything besides sex. And it wasn't just talking to Lorelai. Luke was just uncomfortable with the whole subject, which made _the talk_ with Roy that much harder.

"Oh, come on, you know what I mean," Luke said. "You can't judge me for not giving women chocolate if you've never gotten a guy anything."

"Once I got a guy a new fishing pole," Lorelai said, thinking hard about her past relationships. "I make picnics, and if you ever bothered to buy a basket at the Picnic Basket Auction, you would know that they're pretty amazing, by the way."

"Well the gift giving is easy for you. You like fishing and you're a great cook. Me? Not so much," Luke said. "You don't have to try as hard as me."

"I don't have to try as hard? Look at me," Lorelai presented herself at the end of the counter. Luke saw nothing wrong and just shrugged. "Don't shrug at me," Lorelai said as she returned behind the counter. Then she began animatedly listing, "For a date, I have to tweeze my eyebrows, shave my legs, _tame_ my hair, make sure my nice clothes are clean, put on makeup—which I can barely do—and wear really uncomfortable shoes."

"You don't wear makeup?" Luke asked, realizing that her face displayed her natural beauty.

"Really? That's what you took from that? No, I don't wear makeup because I'm going to sweat it off anyway. You're not getting the big picture. In preparation for a date, you just have to shower, maybe shave—unless you're going for the attractive scruffy look—then put on some good clothes, that's it."

"You think the 'scruffy' this is attractive?" Luke asked, throwing Lorelai off guard because she didn't realize what she said.

"Yeah? So? That isn't my point. You should be giving your girlfriend gifts because you realize how much has gone into that night. And yeah, you probably had to make reservations and pay for at least half, but still. Oh!" Lorelai remembered. "And I have to clean my apartment. Do you know how much I hate cleaning? A lot."

"You clean the apartment?"

"I try to, why?"

"So you assume you're going to…" Luke trailed off. Lorelai's eyes bugged.

"No, um, well, I hope so, obviously. But it's for when or if the guy picks me up. I can't have him thinking I'm a total slob, do I?"

"You try too hard," Luke repeated in a mumble. Luke didn't understand why she would have to spend so much time getting ready. She looked fine, and guys shouldn't care about that stuff if she doesn't like doing it.

"Really? So if you picked up your date, and she was wearing this and her apartment was messy and you could smell bacon and butter on her, that wouldn't turn you off?" Lorelai asked, more so for her benefit than to make her point.

Before Luke could answer, they heard a loud car drive around the square. Luke caught one look at the red convertible.

"Rachel," Luke whispered to himself. Lorelai looked at him and the pained look on his face.

"Rachel? _The_ Rachel?" Lorelai asked. Luke just nodded. Without asking, Lorelai boxed up his food and gave him the to-go bag.

"Thanks," he said, trying to shake off the confused thoughts he had.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lorelai asked. He shrugged. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"If she doesn't eat me alive, yes. See ya then," he gave a half-wave before leaving. Luke walked outside and toward Patty's, where Rachel parked her car.

"Hey there," Rachel said, still sitting in the car. Luke was cut off when her heard his son yelling from across the square.

"Mom!" Roy said, running to the convertible. His ice cream date was short lived since Dawn's mom wanted her home right away to start packing. They were going to visit the grandparents, which is why Dawn couldn't make the party.

"Rachel," Luke repeated, almost not believing his eyes. The woman got out of the car and shook her curly hair out of the tangled mess the wind made. She hugged Roy, making comments about how much he's grown and how handsome he is. The last time they saw her was the previous Christmas, and even then, she drank so much she could barely recognize her son.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asked when she finally looked at Luke. Luke gave her a small smile before walking over and giving his old girlfriend a hug. Rachel gave him a peck on the cheek before gushing about her new apartment and job in New York. Luke listened absently as he stood there. He directed her to the house and Roy rode with her after she told Luke to bring home pizza.

Lorelai watch the scene from the café. She watched Roy ride off with his mom, leaving Luke by himself. Lorelai wanted to go out there, to ask if he was okay. But something stopped her. Maybe it was the look on his face when he saw the red convertible. The look of surprise and confusion made Lorelai nervous. Luke walked out of Al's with a large pizza, and Lorelai went back to work.

* * *

The next morning, Luke, Roy, and Rachel entered the café. Luke's back was killing him because Rachel slept in his bed while he slept on the couch. The three of them sat at the back table and waited for Lorelai to come around. Rachel wasn't impressed by the restaurant until Luke told her it used to be a hardware store. Then she said,

"Well in that case it doesn't look terrible."

Lorelai actually spent some time on her hair that morning. She decided to change it up by fitting her hat over the frizzy volume, which wasn't in the usual ponytail. A few hours after opening, she came from the kitchen and instantly smiled at her boys. That smile flat-lined when she saw the woman with them. Lorelai took a deep breath, grabbed the coffee pot, and headed over to their table.

"Good morning, and welcome to Latte Lorelai" she said brightly to Rachel. "Coffee?" Lorelai waved the pot toward Luke. He rolled his eyes but before he could respond, Rachel laughed.

"Luke doesn't drink coffee," she said condescendingly, then leaned over as if to let Lorelai in on a secret. "He's more of a tea kind of guy." Lorelai nodded and Luke explained.

"She knows that, the coffee thing is a bit she does. Every day she asks me if I want coffee, and every day I say no."

"It's almost a habit now," Lorelai said. "I'm Lorelai by the way."

"I'm Rachel, Roy's mom. If Luke keeps saying no, why do you keep asking?"

"Because one day he might say yes," Lorelai said with a smile. Lorelai walked around and poured coffee into Roy's mug and Rachel looked surprised.

"Roy drinks coffee? That isn't like my little boy," Rachel said. Roy looked at his dad before answering.

"Well I'm not that little anymore, mom," Roy said. "I mean, I try for my license next week." Rachel leaned forward, ignoring his comment, and took a sip out of his mug without asking.

"You know that coffee isn't bad," she told Lorelai, who just nodded at the sort-of complement.

"What did you make today?" Roy asked. Lorelai smiled at the young man and his unending hunger.

"I made some fruit tarts, cherry and blueberry Danishes, and those chocolate scones you like," Lorelai listed with a nudge at Roy. She handed Rachel a menu. "The made-to-order food is on here, as well as espresso drinks I can whip up for ya, hence the _latte_ in Latte Lorelai. I'll give you a minute to look it over," she said with the friendliest smile she could muster. Rachel took the menu and nodded, not making eye contact. Lorelai winked at Roy and went around to take orders and refill coffee.

"We're ready now," Rachel loudly called at Lorelai after a couple minutes. Luke wasn't surprised by Rachel's rude behavior. It was a power move she had used since they were teenagers. If Luke ever just looked at another woman, Rachel would be loud, mean, and obnoxious. Even though they weren't together, Rachel wanted to show other women that she had power and influence over Luke.

"What can I get you?" Lorelai asked, trying her best to remain professional.

"I'll have a blueberry Danish, a fruit cup, a side of bacon, and a grande mocha latte," Rachel ordered.

"A grande?" Lorelai asked. Rachel almost rolled her eyes.

"Like from Starbucks?"

"Sorry, I don't go there. I have an endless supply here," Lorelai tried to joke. Luke knew that Lorelai knew what a grande was. Lorelai had a particular rant about Starbucks, and plays dumb with customers until they order a normal small, medium, or large drink. It was a bit that Luke actually liked, but he wished Lorelai didn't do it to Rachel, who was being particularly awful that day.

"It's a medium," Rachel said, completely unimpressed.

"Perfect," Lorelai wrote it down. She turned to Roy.

"Can I have a chocolate scone, scrambled eggs, toast, and a fruit cup, please?" Roy ordered politely, trying to make up for his mom's rudeness.

"Of course," Lorelai said, writing it down. "And Luke, your usual?"

"Yeah, thanks," he said, and she walked off without writing it down.

"Your usual?" Rachel asked. Luke winced at the amused look on her face.

"Yeah, we come here every day and I get the same thing, hence the usual," Luke explained.

"Why don't you try anything else? Does the food suck?" She asked loudly. Luke looked around, embarrassed at his ex for potentially slandering Lorelai's name.

"No, the food is great!" Roy chimed in, defending Lorelai's honor.

"Plus do you know how much butter is in those pastries you're about to eat? And sugar? But the fruit is always fresh," Luke added, trying his best not to bag on the food too much.

"Why do you keep coming back here?" Rachel asked. Luke shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't like the food, why do you keep eating here?"

"Dad likes the food," Roy said. "He has a usual, there's nothing wrong with that. It just means that he eats here all the time, which is nice. And I love the food, I've eaten everything on the menu at least twice. And we like Lorelai, she's our friend." Roy had repeated the words Luke used the day before. Luke was proud of his son for standing up to his mother.

"You're friends with her?" Rachel asked, trying to put Lorelai down to make herself look better.

"Yeah, I am."

"You, Luke Gilmore, of the Hartford Gilmores, having grown up in the lap of luxury, surrounded by beautiful girls, is friends with the tomboy wearing the dirty flannel and old baseball hat?" Rachel was always shallow like that. Designer brands were everything to her, substance of the person be damned.

"What's wrong with how she dresses?" Luke asked, half wanting to admit to Rachel that he liked how Lorelai dressed.

"I don't know, it just isn't… impressive. She doesn't seem to care about how she looks," Rachel said. Lorelai could hear them talking from behind the counter as she made the medium mocha. Lorelai looked down self-consciously at her attire. Sure, they weren't the most flattering clothes, but she wasn't trying to impress anyone in Stars Hollow. Everyone knew her, there wasn't a reason to change. Even though she wanted to impress Luke, it was too late now. But Rachel's words still stung, especially because of the unfinished conversation with Luke the day before.

"I like the flannels," Roy said. "And I like her hats. The one today is from when she and her dad went to the 1986 World Series."

"So her hat is as old as you? Can't she buy a new one?" Rachel asked. By then, their food was ready and Lorelai was walking toward them.

"No, I can't. This specific _cap_ was limited edition. They only made about 300 of them. Plus, my dad bought me this hat, so it's special," Lorelai said as she set down their food, giving Luke his oatmeal, fruit, and peppermint tea with a _WTF_ look. She wrote the bill and set it in the middle of the table, then walked away.

"Someone's sensitive," Rachel said. Luke took a big scoop of oatmeal and ate it so he couldn't respond to her. "Oatmeal?" She said, just trying to get a reaction out of him.

"Yup, oatmeal. It's the healthiest thing here, plus she makes it taste really good. Want a bite?" He offered before she could take without asking.

"No thanks," Rachel said as she picked at her Danish.

The rest of breakfast went by slowly. Rachel complained that the Danish was too flaky, the bacon was too greasy, and the mocha was too thick. Luke and Roy just absorbed the complaints, thanking God that she would be out of their hair soon. Luke stood up and walked to the register to pay. There stood Lorelai, her usual smile had left her face a while ago and hadn't returned.

* * *

Lorelai almost hated how Luke knew her expressions. He knew when she was happy, ecstatic, or forcing it. And she was barely able to fake the smile that morning. Rachel's comments hurt her. One reason Lorelai liked working at the café was that she didn't need to care about her looks. For years, she didn't need to care. Lorelai was never the trendiest girl in town, but she knew how to dress up from time-to-time. Even though she wore the guy-ish clothes everyday to work, Lorelai still owned cute, feminine clothes. She just rarely had a use for them.

"Hey, I'm sorry about her," Luke said. "We usually meet in New York if she has time to visit Roy. I didn't want to bring her here because she can be... mean." Luke found the nicest word in his vocabulary to describe her.

"Yeah, I noticed," Lorelai said, pulling at a couple hairs that escaped the hat's hold. "Luke, can I ask you something? We didn't really finish our conversation yesterday."

"Sure, anything," he said, handing her the money. She put it in the register and gave him the change.

"Do you think I need to wear different clothes?" She asked. "I mean, I see where Rachel was coming from, these aren't exactly the most fashionable clothes." Luke leaned across the counter and placed a hand on hers, feeling the flannel cuff between his fingers.

"Screw what she says. Your clothes are great, I like them. They're practical and they're… you," he said, looking her in the eyes. She gave him a small smile.

"Thanks Luke," she said. He nodded and stood up straight, removing his hand.

"Of course," he said. "You don't need to change, Lorelai. Rachel does."

"You always know how to make me feel better. How can I ever repay you?" Lorelai fake swooned, letting Luke know she was feeling better.

"Well, now that you mention it, the sink in the bathroom upstairs is leaking, can you come by and fix it later?" He asked.

"Lucas Gilmore, you were just being nice to me so I'd fix your sink, weren't you?" She accused with a smile. Lorelai was back.

"Yeah, sorry, cheap labor comes with a price sometimes," he shrugged. Lorelai gave him a smile and shook her head.

"I'll be over this afternoon," Lorelai said. "Bye Roy," she called to the teenager who was walking over followed by his mom.

"Bye Lorelai," he waved. Rachel didn't look at Lorelai before walking toward the door.

"When is she leaving?" Lorelai quietly asked Luke.

"She's probably staying until Roy's birthday," Luke said with a sigh and a shrug. Then he smiled sightly and gave the counter a soft knock. "Goodbye, Lorelai," he said.

"Bye, Luke," she said, then she watched them go down the street. Rachel was walked too close to Luke for Lorelai's liking. Lorelai sighed and started cleaning up their table. Rachel had ripped apart the pastry, eating only half of it. The mocha had maybe two sips missing, and her fruit cup had moved to Luke's plate. Luke and Roy's dishes were scraped clean, which made Lorelai feel better. It was the little things that made her feel confident about herself.

* * *

That afternoon, Lorelai drove over to the Crap Shack to fix the sink. She knocked on the door, expecting Luke or Roy to answer. But it was Rachel. In a towel.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's the plumber, I've come to fix the sink," Lorelai quoted Electric Company.

"But really why are you here?" Rachel asked, not letting Lorelai inside. Lorelai held up the tool box.

"I'm really here to fix the sink. Luke's sink upstairs," she said. Rachel held in laughter.

"Luke needs a girl to fix a sink? Can't he hire an actual plumber?"

"I'm actually a certified plumber as of three years ago. Plus, my dad taught me everything about home repairs. Ten years ago, the café was a hardware store," Lorelai said, sick of Rachel's judgement.

"This is hilarious," Rachel said in an affluent tone. "Well you can come in, but you'll have to wait a bit because Luke's in the bathroom showering. He worked up quite the sweat earlier," Rachel said, not subtle at all.

"I'll just check over some things around the house, then," Lorelai said, and Rachel finally let her in. Lorelai was checking the counter tops she fixed last week, making sure they were holding up.

"Rachel, can you get me a towel? You took the last one," Luke called from upstairs. Rachel smirked at Lorelai and walked away. A few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen, followed by a half-clothed Luke.

"Oh, Lorelai, when did you get here?" He asked as he pulled on a t-shirt.

"Your sink," she said shortly, not answering his question.

"Oh yeah, duh, sorry. We've been walking around all day, I totally forgot," Luke said. "Did you walk in on your own? I thought I told you not to do that," Luke pretend to scold, but Lorelai didn't think it was that funny.

"No, Rachel let me in, right before she got you the towel," Lorelai said monotonously. "I'm going to fix your sink now, unless you two need it in the next half an hour." She looked between them, then headed up the stairs, her heart breaking more with each step. Of course he would pick Rachel. Just like Lorelai always went back to Christopher, Luke would go back to Rachel. But it still hurt to see them together, especially right after some steamy shower sex, pun intended.

Lorelai loosened the pipe to clear out the clog, caused by what she assumed were Luke's beard shavings. She tightened the pipes and cleaned up the mess before walking back down stairs with a bucket full of hair and sludge.

"I can pick up a drain catcher so when you shave, the hair doesn't clog your sink," she said, holding out the bucket.

"That'd be great, thanks," Luke said, looking into the bucket. "That's gross."

"At least you didn't have to touch it," Lorelai tried to joke. She looked over to the living room where Rachel was painting her nails. "I'll see you later," Lorelai said to him before heading out.

"Lorelai," Luke called after her. She stopped on the porch and waited for Luke, who closed the door after him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" He asked. Lorelai hesitated to answer. She could tell him the truth, that the thought of Luke and Rachel bothered her to no end. But Lorelai told him something else.

"I'm fine, just… Her comments from earlier are still getting to me. Maybe I'll go shopping tomorrow, try to pick up some new jeans and tops that show more cleavage," Lorelai tried to joke.

"You shouldn't change because of her. You're great just the way you are," he said. Lorelai smiled at her friend.

"That would be a whole lot sweeter than if I wasn't holding a bucket of ick," she said. "But thanks." Lorelai dumped the grossness in the bushes outside his house before leaving.

* * *

The next day, Rachel was getting her bags together when Luke walked into the living room.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"My parents want to meet up in Vermont, so I'm heading there now," she said.

"You're not staying until Friday?" Luke asked.

"No, why would I?" Rachel asked.

"Really? You don't know what Friday is?"

"Is there some national holiday I've been missing the last 30 years?" She asked.

"It's your son's birthday," Luke stared at his ex.

"No it isn't, his birthday isn't until the 18th," Rachel said. Luke shook his head.

"It's the 8th. Roy was born on the 8th of October, 1984. He's turning 16 on Friday. He's getting his license on Monday. He got into a great school, eats at Lorelai's every day, and he has a lovely girlfriend and good friends. You would know all of this if you were here more."

"Luke, you know I can't stay here," Rachel laughed, not apologizing for forgetting. "This town? There's nothing to do. My apartment in California has more going on than this town. Roy should be raised somewhere exciting, not boring. He needs to experience culture and speak languages and eat _good_ food," Rachel said, taking a dig at Lorelai.

"Stars Hollow isn't boring. There's monthly festivals on the square, we have a worldly restaurant to taste different food, Roy is almost fluent in French and Spanish, and the food is good, really good. Don't insult my town."

"You care more about this place than I thought," Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'll wait until Roy comes home from school before I leave. You should get back to work."

"I think I will," Luke said. But he didn't go to work. It was the middle of the afternoon when he got to Lorelai's.

* * *

"Afternoon, Luke. Coffee?" Lorelai called as Luke walked straight through the dining area and up to her apartment. Lorelai knew that meant he needed to rant away from others' ears.

"What's up?" Lorelai asked after leaving Cassy in charge.

"Rachel's leaving," Luke said.

"What?"

"She's leaving. She came for three days, insulted me, you, and the town, and now she's leaving," he yelled.

"Before Roy's birthday?"

"She forgot."

"She forgot her son's birthday?"

"Yeah, she thought it was the 18th. She's still leaving even though the party is the day after tomorrow. What kind of person does that? What kind of mother does that?"

"Luke, I'm sorry. Roy deserves better than that. So do you," Lorelai said. Luke paced and ranted some more before calming down. He sat on her couch and she joined him.

"Thanks for listening. I just… I wish she'd stop popping in. It'd be easier if she was always here or never here," Luke sighed.

"I can understand that," Lorelai said. "I've told you about my ex Christopher, right? He does the same thing. I haven't seen him in a while, so I don't know if he's gone for good or if he'll show up out of the blue."

"I just feel bad for Roy. Call me old fashioned, but I think a kid should be raised by two parents. Unfortunately, our circumstance doesn't give him that."

"I know. But Luke," she said, putting a hand on his muscular shoulder. "You are a great dad. You give that boy everything he needs. And if you ever need help, I'm here."

"I know you are," Luke said. "You've actually been more of a mom to Roy than Rachel." Neither spoke for a while.

"So what was with the shower thing?" Lorelai asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When I came to fix the sink, she was wearing a towel, you were showering," Lorelai sad awkwardly. "Did something happen?" She asked.

"You are nosey, you know that?" Luke asked. "Nothing happened. We walked all around Stars Hollow and it was warm for October, so we both got sweaty. She showered before me."

"Okay," Lorelai didn't know what else to say.

"Why?"

"I was just wondering if there was another reason why you were upset about her leaving."

"We haven't _been together_ since Roy," Luke said. Lorelai nodded. They say for a beat before Luke stood up.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Lorelai asked. Luke groaned.

"Roy's birthday party at my parents' house might just kill me," Luke said, leaning back against the couch. "I'd show you the penguin suits she's making us wear, it's terrible."

"Well at least there'll be alcohol," Lorelai said. "And Roy has his temps, so he can be your DD."

"Yeah, that's the plan," Luke sighed. He sat up and patted Lorelai's knee before standing. "Thanks for listening."

"Anytime," she said as she stood as well. "Can I get you a tea to-go?" She asked. Luke edged a smile and they made their way downstairs.

* * *

By the time he came home after work, he found Roy alone at the house.

"Where's Rachel?" Luke asked.

"She left a couple hours ago. She waited to say goodbye, like usual," Roy said nonchalantly as he did his homework.

"At least she always does that," Luke said. "Roy?" He asked.

"Yeah, Dad?" Roy said, finally turning to his dad. Luke didn't know how to put his thoughts into words.

"I… do you wish your mom was around more?" He asked. Roy shrugged.

"I used to. When I was younger, I really wanted Rachel to me here for me. But, after a while, I got used to it. Besides, Lorelai is here. She's almost like a mom," Roy said. "I hope it's okay that I said that."

"It is. I sort of thought the same thing earlier. Are you okay?" Luke asked. Roy nodded.

"Are you?" Roy asked his dad. Luke nodded.

"I am. Finish your weekend homework so we can watch the _Die Hard_ trilogy," Luke said, holding up the movies in his hand. Roy smiled and got back to work. Roy didn't need Rachel in his life. His dad was all he needed. Lorelai too.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! I know you might not have wanted me to gender swap all those characters-specifically Lane and Sookie-but I think I'll be able to develop the story line more with the swap.**

 **I have papers and exams and shit for the next week and a half, Bio being my last exam on Wednesday at 8:00am :P Anyone else going through exams in the next couple weeks?**

 **Because of that, I might not be able to update soon. My goal is to post the 2nd part of October by next Monday. After that, I won't update for a while because I don't have the next chapter completely written yet.**

 **As always, if you have any suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review. Seriously, I love reading them.  
**


	3. October Part 2: Happy Birthday Roy!

**Thanks for the reviews, faves, and follows! I'm a day late updating, I've had my hands full with exams this week. I had my last exam today at at 8am tomorrow morning, I'm posting this and then I'm going back to my dorm to finish (start) packing. And then I'm home for the summer! I'm pretty excited to be back.  
**

 **Alright, nothing specific story-related to report, so on with the show!**

* * *

 **October [Part 2: Happy Birthday, Roy!]**

The day of his birthday, Roy and Luke went to the café for Lorelai's annual birthday breakfast. They barely survived the Gilmore Party of Hell the night before. Margret had invited the families of all of Roy's classmates, which embarrassed Roy. But they made it through and Roy actually made a friend, a guy named Tristan.

"Over-under on the number of balloons on my chair?" Roy asked.

"Last year there were five, so I'm guessing at least six," Luke said. "Do you think you'll get coffee cake or a birthday scone?"

"Knowing Lorelai, it'll be both," Roy laughed. And sure enough, they saw six balloons on Roy's usual stool, as well as three food options were waiting for him.

"Chocolate chunk scones, coffee cake, _and_ breakfast pie," Roy's mouth was almost watering.

"She must really like you," Luke said, moving the balloons out of their way.

"I do, you're my favorite 16 year-old named Roy," Lorelai said as she walked up. Luke looked up and, like two months ago, he almost didn't recognize her.

Lorelai's hair was down, a bandana—in place of a baseball cap—was wrapped up to keep the hair out of her face. She was wearing a tighter t-shirt and makeup. In Luke's opinion, she didn't look bad, but he preferred her other attire better.

Lorelai noticed that Luke was looking at her differently, and she couldn't decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She had tried some new things, maybe it was too much too quickly.

"Happy birthday, kiddo. You can have whatever you want, but I figured I'd give you some special options," she ruffled his hair.

"Thanks, Lorelai, this looks awesome," Roy said with the biggest smile ever. Just then, Roy's best friend Levi came in and Roy moved to the table in the back.

"Hey, coffee?" She asked Luke, who was still looking at her in a weird way.

"Hey, um, no thanks. I thought you said you weren't going to go shopping?" Luke asked. Lorelai nodded, already setting out his regular teacup. She grabbed a peppermint tea bag from her secret Luke stash under the counter.

"Yeah, I didn't. I have other clothes besides the flannels. But what do you guys think?" Lorelai asked, Vanna White-ing herself.

"You look nice, but I miss the ball caps," Roy said from the table as he sipped on his special birthday cake latte.

"What do you think?" Lorelai asked Luke, wondering what he was thinking.

"You look good," was what Luke said.

"Good how?" Lorelai smirked.

"Good as in good, what is it supposed to mean?" He was getting flustered. He sighed. "I like your hair."

"My hair?"

"Yeah, it's been down the last couple of days, right?" He asked and she nodded. "I like it, if you want my opinion."

"Of course I want your opinion. Especially with clothes since you dress so well," Lorelai said, pulling at his tie over the counter.

"Anytime. Now, will you please tell me what you put in this oatmeal?" Luke asked. Lorelai smiled softly at him.

"What's it worth to you?" She flirted, leaning closer to him.

"Chocolate and jewelry?" Luke offered. Lorelai laughed lightly.

"You know, I'll make a deal with you. The day I see you drink my coffee is the day I tell you the secret ingredient." Lorelai held out her hand and Luke shook it.

"Sounds like a plan," he said.

"Coffee?" Lorelai offered. Luke was tempted, but refused.

"Tea please," he asked then changed topics. They talked about the inn until Roy left for school. Then it was planning mode.

* * *

"Is everything ready for the party?" Luke asked.

Roy's birthday parties were legendary. Once Luke recruited Lorelai's help, the kid's parties were the height of Stars Hollow Elementary School social calendar. One year, the cops had to shut it down because the clown had jumped bail. For Roy's sweet sixteen, Lorelai didn't pull any stops.

"Alright, so I've had the poster invitations up around this place for a week, so I'm guessing most of Stars Hollow will be there. Did you invite anyone else?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, my parents," Luke said. "At their party last night, I got guilted into inviting them."

"I can't wait to meet them," Lorelai said. Luke shook his head.

"If I could help it, I'd spare you. But they've been asking about you," Luke said. Lorelai raised her eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Yeah, Roy's mentioned you a couple times at the Friday night dinners," Luke said.

"Well it's nice to be mentioned," Lorelai smiled. "For clarification: the party will begin at 7:00. Patty's bringing her punch and Sokka is making the food. I'll start baking the cake in an hour or so. I'm also making cupcakes. Do you want any other sweets? I mean it is a _sweet_ sixteen."

"I'm sure Roy would like those apple cinnamon buns you make," Luke said.

"What about you, any requests?"

"Nope, the apple buns are all Roy's," Luke said with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

"What do you have against my apple buns?"

"They're loaded with sugar. And they're sticky and messy."

"You don't like my buns?" Lorelai asked, faking a pout but the deflation was real. She figured that since they were fruity he'd like them.

"No!" Luke said, feeling bad for hurting her feelings. "I like your buns. Your buns are great." Lorelai's pout turned into a sly smirk.

"So you _do_ like my buns," she said. Then she leaned forward. "Dirty." Luke sighed and rolled his eyes, not believing that he set himself up for that. Her _buns_ were fine. Her apple buns weren't his favorite.

"Make the apple buns and some cookies if you can," Luke instructed. "Please try to be on your best behavior tonight?"

"I make no promises," Lorelai smiled. They went back to finalizing the party plans before Luke had to go to the inn.

* * *

That afternoon, Cassy called in sick. Since all of her other employees were going to Roy's party, Lorelai decided to cover for her. Lorelai called Luke to tell him she wouldn't be there at 4:00 like she promised.

"Independence Inn, Luke speaking, how can I help you?" Luke recited in an uncharacteristically cheery voice.

"Wow, Luke, you sound so happy. Why don't you talk like that all the time?"

"Because if I did, I might go insane," Luke switched instantly to his usual gruffly manner.

"There's the Luke I know and love," Lorelai teased. "I have some bad news."

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked. Lorelai could hear his worry through his tone.

"Yeah, well, Cassy is sick. And there's the soccer game tonight and I need to serve the post-game rush. I'll be at the party later than planned."

"Oh, okay. Do you know what time? People will be wondering where the cake is. Plus we don't want to do presents without you," Luke said. Lorelai smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I should be there by 9:00," Lorelai said.

"Sounds good. See you then," Luke said.

"See you then," Lorelai said and hung up.

* * *

Luke and Sokka were setting up in the few hours before the party. Sokka had brought over the last of the ingredients and was about to get cooking. Luke, per Lorelai's instructions, was getting the decorations put together.

"So the plan is to make those mini orange biscuits with honey-mustard ham and cheddar cheese," Sokka listed.

"Yum."

"And then I made sliders with dipping sauce. The pulled pork is in the slow cooker and now I just need Lorelai's buns."

"Her what?" Luke asked, panicked that Sokka knew about _buns_ bit Lorelai pulled on him earlier

"The sandwich buns? She said she brought some over yesterday," Sokka said to a relieved Luke.

"Oh, um, yeah, they're in the cupboard next the fridge," he said.

"Speaking of which, you need to get Lorelai over here," Sokka instructed. "I know she said she'd be here at four but I might need an extra set of hands."

"Lorelai's going to be late," Luke said. Sokka stopped stirring the sauce.

"Late? How late?" Sokka asked. Because Sokka wasn't at work as he prepared for the food, Luke couldn't explain Lorelai's tardiness.

"Cassy called in sick, and the café has to be open to serve the post-game rush, so she's going to be here around 9:00. She's bringing the desserts with her."

"Well that blows," Sokka said. He eyed Luke, metering his reaction. "It won't be the same without her.

"Well yeah, but we got everything sorted out this morning, so the party will still go as planned."

"That's good," Sokka said. Luke left to start on the decorations, which was the only party planning department he enjoyed.

"Are you nervous about your parents coming?" Sokka called from the kitchen.

"A little. I mean I invited them, but I doubt they'll come. They'll call to politely decline. And I'm okay with that. Do you want to know what Margret did yesterday?" Luke asked, coming back to the kitchen.

"Wear jeans?"

"To a party? She'd rather die. No, she invited women."

"Women?"

"Women. Single, eligible, uppity women to Roy's birthday women."

"For Roy?"

"No, not for Roy. For me. My mother invited the daughters of her friends in the DAR so I could _mingle_. When I told her I didn't want to _mingle_ , she said that I needed to date some proper ladies. Ladies of acceptable back grounds and financial situations."

"What did you do?"

"I hid in my old room for a while, but when my mother forced me back down, I had to talk to these women, partially to be polite, but mostly because they all brought money or gifts for Roy, and I felt obligated to."

"Did you meet anyone you liked?"

"There was one woman I talked to, but she has a kid that goes to school with Roy, so I thought that might be awkward."

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Sokka asked.

"You're not hitting on me, are you?" Luke asked jokingly.

"Of course not, I have my eye on someone else," Sokka said. "Don't avoid the question."

"I don't have time for a girlfriend. All of my time is spent either at the Inn or with Roy."

"Or at the café," Sokka said with a tilted head. Luke squinted at his friend.

"Yup, or there. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering about if you were interested in anyone," Sokka said, going back to the biscuit dough.

"Not at the moment," Luke said. "I'm going to hang the lights outside." And he left. Sokka was one of the few people who knew bother sides of the story regarding Luke and Lorelai. He knew both had feelings for the other. Sokka had tried his best to stay out of it, but resistance was futile.

* * *

The guests started to arrive at 6:30, but the party didn't start until Miss Patty brought the punch. Soon enough, music was blaring, people were laughing, and Roy was having a great time. He and his friends—Levi, Dave, Brian, and Zack—were playing the beanbag toss on the lawn. Luke was talking with Andrew and Morey inside when the doorbell rang.

"Jeez, who the hell rings the bell?" He asked loudly to combat the music. He walked to the door and ran into his parents. "Hi Dad, Mom," he greeted awkwardly.

"Hello Luke," Margret said. "We already said hi to Roy outside, he said that the _party_ was in here."

"Yes, I'll give you the grand tour," Luke said. He showed his parents the kitchen and Roy's room before exposing them to Stars Hollow's finest.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my parents, William and Margret. Mom, Dad, this is everyone," Luke introduced. Miss Patty walked over, and Luke already felt sorry for his dad.

"I'm Patricia LaCosta. We just love your son and grandson," she said.

"Thank you," Margret said politely and shook hands with Patty. Patty then looked William up and down.

"My God, you're a tall specimen of a man. Must be all that good air in Hartford," Patty flirted at William. Luke's dad adjusted his collar and Margret looked bewildered at Patty.

"Mom, Dad, can I get you a drink?" Luke offered, wanting to defuse the tension. They agreed and Margret waited by the stairs while William checked out the fireplace.

"Um, okay, uh, my parents are here," Luke said to Sokka in the kitchen.

"No! Really?"

"Yeah. Miss Patty already tried to hit on my dad and I'm sure my mom is going to call Child Protective Services."

"It can't be that bad. When was the last time they were here?"

"Never."

"Never?"

"Not once since we moved here. I mean, they'd come down and visit occasionally when Roy was a baby and we lived at the inn, but they have never been here at the house," Luke said with sudden realization.

"Wow. That's big stuff. Is Roy thrilled?

"Through the roof," Luke said. He had jumped outside to check in with his kid.

"Oh, well that's good," Sokka said. Then Margret came into the kitchen

"Luke, I just tried some of these hors d'oeuvres. They're unbelievable. Who is your caterer?" She asked.

"Sokka," Luke said, pointing to his friend.

"Hi. Sokka St. James," Sokka said, holding out his hand for Margret to shake.

"It's nice to meet you," Margret said.

"Sokka's the chef at the inn, Mom," Luke said.

"My dear, you are very talented. You must cater my next party. When my friends get wind of you you're going to have so much business you won't know what to do with yourself. But remember - I discovered you." Luke had never heard his mother give so many honest compliments at one time. Margret and Sokka talked business while he brought his dad a drink.

"How's it look?" Luke asked. William stood up from the fireplace.

"It doesn't look structurally sound," William lightly. "The place looks good. Who's your contractor?"

"I don't have one," Luke said. "One of my friends comes over and fixes it every once in a while."

"Well he does a good job," William said. Luke smirked, saving the gender reveal for later. Then Sokka came into the living room.

"OK, don't panic," he said.

"That's what people hear before they panic. What's wrong?"

"We're out of ice."

"How could we be out of ice? We had a ton of ice. It was like a penguin habitat in there."

"I don't know how it happened, I just know it happened and somehow we have to deal with it," Sokka said. Luke sighed.

"Well then I will go and get some then," Luke said before grabbing his coat. The walk to the gas station wasn't too far.

As he walked opened the door, he saw Lorelai walking up to the house. She was carrying two bags of ice while she walked up to the house. Luke jogged over to her, happy to see her more than he was the ice.

"You are amazing," Luke complimented, taking the bags.

"Well I know that," Lorelai said with a smile. "But why specifically?"

"You brought ice," he said. "I was about to leave and get some."

"We must be on the same brainwave then," Lorelai smiled. Roy ran over and gave Lorelai a hug.

"Lorelai this party is awesome!" He said. "Thanks for helping out."

"Happy birthday again, kiddo," Lorelai hugged back. Roy let go and ran back to his friends. They stood there awkwardly until Luke led her to the house but putting on arm around her in a side-hug fashion. When they got inside, Margret was watching them from the open door.

"Hi, Mom, this is my friend Lorelai," Luke introduced. Lorelai walked over and shook Margret's hand firmly.

"How's it going?" Lorelai asked.

"It's going well, thank you," Margret said. Lorelai stepped back and looked between Luke.

"I gotta get the cake," Lorelai said, sensing the tension in the room. She walked passed Luke. "I got the buns too," she said with a wink. Luke couldn't help but smile at her before shaking his head. Lorelai went back to her car, leaving Luke alone with his mother. Luke gave Margret a look before leaving to help Lorelai with the food.

* * *

A little while later, Lorelai brought out the cake. As the townspeople ate and drank, they told stories about Roy as a kid. Luke and Lorelai sat on the couch across from William and Margret as they all talked.

"Oh, Morey, you remember the time that Roy decided that our old tree stump was a fairy ring?" Babette said. Roy blushed and shook his head in the manner he learned from his father.

"I sure do," Morey said, patting Roy on the back.

"How old was he then, sugar?" Babette asked Luke.

"I think he was about 10," Luke said, smiling at his son.

"Hey, all I know is that it matched the description," Roy said.

"Oh, God, he was cute," Babette spoke mostly to Margret, who was probably the only one who hadn't heard the story. "He used to sit out there with a peanut butter sandwich just waiting for the fairy to get hungry."

"OK, new story," Roy said, getting more embarrassed.

"I'm still crushed beyond belief that he quit his piano lessons," Miss Patty said.

"Oh, not me. Mr. Perfect Work Ethic would practice on his electric keyboard 24 hours a day," Luke said.

"And I still stunk."

"I can vouch for that," Levi said. Roy nudged his friend as the group laughed. Lorelai laughed and looked over to Luke, who had the biggest smile on his face. For the first time in a while, he felt comfortable in the presence of his parents. Maybe it was the punch, maybe it was the fact that Lorelai had reassured him several times in the kitchen, but Luke felt better. That was until Margret excused herself and walked upstairs. Lorelai nudged Luke, and he followed his mom upstairs.

* * *

"Lorelai made that," Luke said after following his mom into his bedroom. Margret was holding a quilt that was made when Roy was a kid.

"Really?" Margret asked.

"Yeah, from Roy's old baby clothes."

"I hope she washed them first," Margret said. Luke nodded. "That's quite an assortment of characters you've collected downstairs."

"They're great people. Completely crazy most days, but they're good to me."

"This Patricia?"

"Miss Patty," Luke corrected.

"She teaches dance and piano?

"Among other things," Luke said with the mischievous smirk that Margret hated and loved.

"And this woman with the ice and the cake and the quilt?"

"Her name's Lorelai," Luke reminded, bracing for the third degree.

"How long have you been seeing her?" Margret asked. Luke smiled at his mother's ridiculous thought.

"Lorelai? I'm not seeing Lorelai. She's just a friend."

"Mm-hmm, sure she is," Margret wasn't convinced. Luke let out a nervous laugh.

"Mom, I swear. Lorelai feeds me, nothing else."

"Nothing else? What about the cake and the quilt?"

"Well the cake is technically food, and the quilt was a birthday present."

"She seems to like you," Margret said.

"Of course she does, she's my best friend," Luke said.

"That's not how she likes you," Margret said with a smirk.

"And you're judging this by what? The cake?"

"By they way she looked at you," Margret said, speaking softly. It had been 16 years since she and Luke had a conversation about dating that didn't involve pregnancy or fighting.

"How did she look at me?" Luke asked, helplessly intrigued.

"Like she wanted to give you a lap dance," Margret said bluntly. If Luke was drinking something, it would have gone out his nose because of how surprised he was at him mom.

"Mom, she did not look at me like that," he denied.

"You're pleased. You're smiling. You're pleased that Lorelai looked at you like a Porterhouse steak."

"I'm smiling because you're crazy and that's what you do to crazy people to keep them calm," Luke said, rolling his eyes unconvincingly. Margret let off the topic and looked around Luke's perfectly clean room. She picked up a picture.

"What's this?" She asked. Luke walked over and looked at the picture. The picture was of him using crutches.

"Well, that's me, Mom."

"I know that's you. You're wearing a cast."

"Yeah, that's when I broke my leg three years ago. Lorelai was late getting to my house one day. We were going to clean out my gutters. Well actually, she was going to clean out my gutters, I'd hold the ladder."

"She cleans the gutters?"

"She used to before Roy was tall enough. But yeah, after I got up there, I realized I couldn't really come down. So I got to work and I slipped and that was it. Lorelai pulled up just in time to watch me fall. She drive me to the hospital."

"I never knew that you broke your leg."

"It was no big deal, Mom. If I'd been really sick you would have known."

"Yeah, well... I should go check on your father," Margret said, not wanting to delve into too deep into how much of her son's life she missed.

"It was nice that you came tonight, Mom. It meant a lot. To Roy. Really," Luke said.

"Well, he is my grandson, after all. I should be here," Margret said. Luke smiled.

"I completely agree," Luke said, motioning for his mom to walk passed him.

* * *

"So, Lorelai, Roy tells me that you are in the restaurant business," William said as Lorelai entered the kitchen. She started to collect empty cups and plates, and William was getting a glass of water.

"Yes, I own Latte Lorelai, a small place on the square," Lorelai said. William nodded, prompting Lorelai to continue. "It was actually my dad's hardware store, but after he passed, I converted it to the cafe."

"I'm sorry about your father," William said.

"It's okay, it's been a few years now."

"Who helped you?"

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked, wondering if he was talking about emotional help with her father's passing.

"With the construction on the cafe?"

"Oh, no one. I did most of it, actually," Lorelai said.

"Really?" William said, trying to remain as PC as possible.

"Yes, really. William, it's the 21st century, women are able to do some heavy lifting once in a while," Lorelai teased. William's face turned red.

"I apologize, where are my manners? How did you get into the construction business?"

"Well it's not a business, it's more of a hobby. My dad taught me most of it, but I got certified in a plumbing a few years ago."

"Why?" William asked. "I mean, why plumbing specifically? I thought you were a cook?"

"I am, but I help around the town, odd jobs for people who can't afford the plumbers in Hartford," Lorelai smiled. William gave a nod, understanding the expense. "Actually," Lorelai turned on Luke's sink. "I replaced the faucet a couple months ago."

"Are you the one who does Luke's house repairs?" William asked, finally putting together his son's smirk from their earlier conversation.

"Yup, I try to help out as best I can. He's busy, you know, running the inn, raising Roy. I just want one less thing to worry about," Lorelai admitted. William nodded at her.

"You're a good friend," he said and gave her a pat on the back.

"The best," Luke said from the edge of the kitchen. Lorelai almost jumped when he spoke. She didn't know how long he was standing there, but it wasn't the time to ask.

"You've got a good girl here," William said, tipping his glass to Lorelai.

"The best," Luke repeated. "Um, Mom wants to head out."

"It's time to go now," Margret said to William.

"I suppose it's getting late," William looked at his watch. The Gilmores and Lorelai walked outside where Roy was burning off his sugar rush by playing football with his friends.

"Roy, we're going to get going now," Margret called out to him. Not a second later was Roy running to the front door.

"Thank you for coming," Roy said as he hugged his grandparents.

"Thanks for inviting us."

"Ah, lovely party. I enjoyed the cake very much. And that punch was... interesting," William said.

"It was nice meeting you, Lorelai," Margret said as she held out her hand for Lorelai to shake.

"You as well," Lorelai said with a polite smile and a firm handshake.

"Good night, Luke. We had a lovely time," Margret said.

"And you even said it with a straight face," Luke joked. Margret rolled her eyes and walked down the porch and to the street.

"I'd check out that chimney if I were you," William said to Lorelai with a wink. "It was nice talking to you, Lorelai. Maybe I'll call you to avoid the expensive Hartford plumbers."

"Stop by the cafe the next time you're in town and we got a deal," Lorelai said. William shook her hand and left. That left Luke, Roy, and Lorelai standing on the porch.

"So..." Roy broke the silence. All were slightly stunned by the success of the party.

"Still hungry? There's still a lot of snack left," Lorelai suggested.

"Awesome!" Roy said. He ran inside and grabbed a bunch of snacks for his friends. Lorelai and Luke continued cleaning.

"I like your dad," Lorelai said in the living room.

"Yeah?" Luke asked, holding the trash bag while she filled it.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty surprised that a woman was taking care of your house," Lorelai said.

"Old money, old values," Luke said. "He's pretty good about accepting new things though."

"I gathered that," Lorelai nodded.

* * *

They finished cleaning as the last guests were leaving, except for the boys outside. Luke and Lorelai grabbed a beer and watched the boys play ball. Well, they watched Levi, Dave, Brian, and Zack play ball. Roy was sort of helpless in the sports department.

"I can't believe that after years of youth leagues, he is still that bad," Luke shook his head. They sat on the chairs like they had done a hundred times. Lorelai was sitting sideways facing him, using the arm of the chair as a foot rest.

"Really? Can you do better?"

"Obviously not. Do you remember that one spring when you forced me to join the softball team?" Luke said. Lorelai burst out laughing. "I managed to get hit in the head twice with the ball, and it was just during the warm up."

"I totally forgot about that! Luke you were terrible! You were definitely worse than Roy is now, hands down," Lorelai said.

"I can hear you, you know?" Roy called from the yard.

"Don't worry, Roy, we still love you," Lorelai called back. When she yelled, her posture straightened and her feet slipped from the arm onto Luke's lap. Lorelai wasn't going to move unless Luke moved her feet, but he didn't. He just rested his arms on her legs and gently held them on his lap.

"Yeah yeah yeah," Roy brushed off with a smile.

Luke watched the interaction between his son and his best friend. Something his mom said, about Lorelai being more than just a friend, re-entered his mind. He caught himself looking at Lorelai. She looked beautiful. She changed back into her plaid shirt since breakfast. Luke enjoyed the scene around him: a peaceful night, Roy playing with his friends, and him and Lorelai sitting on the porch having a drink. If he and Lorelai were together... _If Lorelai and I were together..._ Luke looked at his friend one more time.

 _Crazy talk._

* * *

 **Rory's birthday was one of my favorite episodes, and I was glad I got to explore it more in this story that "Butterflies Cause Hurricanes."  
**

 **I have most of the next chapter written, but I lost the end of it. I had written most of this story in my Bio 100 class, because what else do you do? Pay attention? Nah. Anyway, I remember writing it down in a notebook, but I lost the physical copy before I could transpose it to my computer. I might find I when I move out. If not, I can recreate it by next week.**

 **Today it's supposed to be a high of 80 degrees, so I'm ready to get outside and enjoy the rays while I can before I get to my paper-pushing job this summer. Anyone have a fun summer job? Maybe I can live vicariously through you.**

 **As always, if you have any suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review. Seriously, I love reading them.**

 **Have a great day and enjoy the first days of summer!**


	4. December: Apple Tarts

**Sorry for the delay in updating. I just started my new job and it took a while to get into the swing of things, as well as find time to finish the chapter. I haven't written the next chapter yet, so expect an even longer wait on that one.**

 **This chapter took me a bit longer to write because I remembered writing the end of it in my Bio class, but I lost the sheet of paper I wrote it on. I spent (too much) time looking for that sheet before I gave up and rewrote it the best I could.**

 **Also, in response to Kpop38, I basically picture Richard and Emily when I talk about William and Margret. It's a shame that we never got to see Luke's parents in the show, so this is what I got.  
**

* * *

 **December: Apple Tarts  
**

After two months, Luke's patience with his parents was wearing thin. Margret was always trying to push his buttons and give him unsolicited advice. One night, Luke snapped at her at dinner, and he was uninvited to his parents' Christmas Party. The day of the party, Luke was helping Roy get ready. _Helping_ as in getting in Roy's way and insisting on tying his tie.

"Dad, I know how to do it," Roy whined. Luke shook his head.

"I know, but this way, I can contribute something," Luke said. He finished tying it and sat on the couch. He put his feet up and turned on the TV until Roy was ready to go.

"I wish you'd change your mind," Roy said as he straightened his tie in the mirror one last time.

"It's not my mind that needs changing," Luke said, flipping through sports channels. "Margret uninvited me." Luke wasn't usually that petty, but his mom brought out the worse in him.

"I don't think she meant it."

"Oh she meant it. And even if she didn't, she wouldn't admit it. She's so stubborn, that's where you get it from," Luke said, pointing the remote at his son.

"Fine, forget it. Should I put your name on Grandma's present?"

"Yes, she'll get even more made if I insult her by not putting a name on a gift that's obviously from me."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Roy asked.

"Do I?"

"I think you're acting a little immature."

"Hey, who's the parent here?" Luke stood up and grabbed the keys from the dish.

"Well what about the apple tarts? You wait all year for those apple tarts."

"I can live without the apple tarts. And you're late," Luke said, dangling the keys in front of his son.

"You really won't come?" Roy asked.

"What, I'm sorry, is somebody speaking? Couldn't be Roy, he's already half way to Hartford." Luke said, practically pushing his son to the door.

"Fine, I'm going," Roy snatched the keys and made a beeline out of the house.

"Drive carefully," Luke called after him. "Watch out for ice. And bring me back one of those—" Roy slammed the door, sick of his dad's stubbornness "Tarts," Luke finished. He looked around the room, and realized he didn't want to be alone that night. He knew the one place he wanted to be, the only other person he'd want to be with.

* * *

"Hey Luke," Lorelai greeted as he walked into the cafe. "Coffee?" The look he gave Lorelai would make a stranger think that Luke loathed her. But she just kept smiling.

"I'll just have tea, thanks," he shook his head. He looked along the counter. "Where are the menus?"

" _You_ need to see a menu?"

"Yes," Luke said.

"I've served the same holiday specials for six years. And every year you get the roast beef sandwich with stuffing on the side, and a cranberry tea."

"I know, but tonight I'm not in the mood for holiday food."

"I know you're not big on holidays, because they're capitalistic and awful and I've heard _that_ particular rant so many times I can rant it myself, but I thought you didn't mind Christmas?" Lorelai asked. Luke hesitated to tell her the truth. He came to her with everything; Lorelai was his best friend. But sometimes he didn't want to bother her with this stuff. How could he complain about fighting with his parents, when she had lost hers?

"Tonight's my parents' big Christmas celebration. There's good food, these amazing apple tarts, big trees in the hallways, and I typically don't argue with my parents that much. It's the only holiday I actually enjoy going over there for and this year, I'm _uninvited_."

"Aw Luke, that sucks. I remember how much you liked going."

"Yeah, well I just want some regular food, but, since you got all this froofy stuff, I'll have the roast beef," he said, skimming the holiday menu. Lorelai nodded and quietly made his food. Lorelai was worried about him, and she had an idea of how to make him feel better.

She came back in a few minutes with non-Christmas BLT, green tea, and a salad.

"This isn't Christmas-y at all," Luke said with a small smile. He took a whiff of the hot tea in front of him. "Not even peppermint tea, thanks."

"I had everything anyway," Lorelai said humbly. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said and ran back to the kitchen. She returned with a platter of pastries and set it in front of him.

"Are those apple tarts?" he said in disbelief, picking up the special treat. She nodded.

"I know that you like them, and after you brought some back last year, I tried to recreate it for you. I was practicing them today to give to you for Christmas next week, but I figured you'd need a pick-me-up," she said. "I know you asked for a non-Chrismas-y meal but I couldn't resist."

"Wow, thanks, Lorelai, it means a lot," he said, taking a big bite.

"It was no big deal," Lorelai shrugged it off, even though her grin never faded. "How is it?"

"Lorelai," he said with his mouth full. He held up a finger and finished chewing. "These are the best apple tarts I've ever had. I thank you." Lorelai's smiled grew twice in size.

"I'm glad you like them, I'll put the rest in a box before you go home," she said. She looked at the clock and figured the dinner rush would end soon.

"So what's new?" Lorelai asked as she started to clean up behind the counter.

"What do you mean?"

"What's new with you? What's going on? Anything happen to you lately? We haven't talked in a while."

"Yeah, well nothing's that new. The inn is fine, the holiday season is in full swing so that's always a treat. Um…" He thought for a moment when a guilty light bulb lit up his mind. "Oh, I guess there is something."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"Do you remember Ms. Medina?"

"Roy's English teacher? The one who gave him a D on the Shakespeare paper?"

"Yeah, well, I'm sort of, well, seeing her," Luke said. He prepared himself for the inevitable follow-up questions.

"What?" Lorelai tried to hide her disappointment by acting excited. "That's great! But isn't it weird that she's Roy's teacher?"

"A little, but he doesn't have her this semester," Luke said.

"How long have you two been _sort-of seeing_ each other?" Lorelai asked. Luke winced.

"Since before Thanksgiving," he said. Lorelai's happy mask cracked and a frown found its way to the surface. She tried to replace it with a smile, but her eyes still showed the hurt.

"Wow, so a month," Lorelai said.

"Yup," Luke said. "I… I meant to tell you, but Maxine being his teacher was a little weird. And I…"

"What?"

"I guess I wanted to make sure it was a good thing before telling anyone," Luke lied. Honestly, ever since hearing the comment about her 'having a thing' for him, Luke felt awkward talking to Lorelai about it. He didn't want to believe it, but he saw the signs.

"Well that makes sense," Lorelai nodded.

"I'm sorry," Luke blurted. Lorelai gave him a smile and shook her head.

"Don't be sorry. It's your choice. Besides, I'm just the lady who feeds you," Lorelai said with a forced laugh.

"Lorelai-," Before Luke could finish, Taylor and the carolers came in. They were singing loudly, drowning out Luke's denial of that sentence.

Lorelai went to get the singers some hot chocolate, going to the store room to get more syrup. At least that was her excuse. She didn't want to cry because her face gets red and puffy and they would totally tell. But she needed a little space to breathe.

"Luke's with the teacher," she whispered to herself. "Why do I always miss my chance." She had been planning on making a move on Christmas. But obviously, that wasn't going to happen now. So not only were her plans ruined, she needed to get him a new present.

She left the room with the syrup and started making the drinks, avoiding eye contact with Luke. As she steamed the mild, Luke's phone rang. He answered it and tried to hush the singers.

"Taylor, would you guys quit it!" He yelled. "Roy, slow down," Lorelai heard Luke say. "What happen to grandpa?... What!... Okay, okay, I'll be right there," he said before hanging up the phone.

"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked, shushing the other patrons.

"Oh my God," Luke muttered at the closed phone.

"What's up?"

"My father's in the hospital," Luke said weakly.

"What?" Lorelai froze. The last time she was in a hospital was when her father passed away years ago. That place didn't hold good memories. Lorelai had only met Richard the one time, but she still empathized with Luke.

"Yeah, he collapsed or something. I don't know, the connection was bad and Roy mumbles. I have to go, I'm sorry, I've gotta go."

"Whoa, calm down."

"No I can't calm down. I have to leave," he said. Lorelai stepped in front of him.

"I'll drive you. You shouldn't drive like this."

"But there's food and there's people and there's Christmas food," Luke said, not wanting to bother her with his crazy family.

"Ok, everybody out! We're closed, let's go. Food's on me, Cassy," she called to the kitchen where her employee was cooking, "shut everything down, we're closed for the night. Lock up before you leave."

"Okay boss," she called back.

"Lorelai, I'm…"

"I know, let's go," she said, and they made their way to her Jeep out back.

* * *

Lorelai sped to the hospital while trying to keep Luke calm. Her words of reassurance helped him, but only so much. Luke kept rubbing the tops of his thighs nervously.

"I feel like this is one of those moments when I should be remembering all the great times I had with my dad, you know. The time he took me to buy an action figure, or to go to the circus, or fishing, and my mind is a complete blank."

"Well I'm sure all of that happened," Lorelai said.

"No it didn't. We never did any of that. He went to work, he came home, he read the paper, he went to bed, I snuck out the window. Simple. He was a very by the numbers guy. I was never very good with numbers," Luke sighed. "He worked hard. He bought a nice house. He provided for my mom. All he asked in return was for his son to wear nice suits, go to social functions, and want the same life that he had. What a disappointment it must have been for him to get me."

"I can't imagine anyone seeing you as a disappointment," Lorelai said.

"I bet you'd get your son an action figure," Luke said, changing the subject slightly.

"I'm clueless to that stuff. I might give him the money to buy it himself, then meet him by the baseball cards," Lorelai smiled at Luke. He returned a week smile himself.

"You'll make a great mom," Luke said.

"And you _make_ a good dad."

"Yeah, it's just the son part I don't have down," he mumbled.

"So, tell me about Maxine," Lorelai forced. Luke was surprised by the request.

"Lorelai, you don't…" he trailed off.

"I'm trying to distract you. Now tell me about her," Lorelai repeated.

"What do you want to know?" He asked.

"What do you like best about her?"

"Oh, um," Luke was expecting a more basic question. "I like that we can talk, you know? We can have conversations about anything. Literature, movies, news, beliefs, anything."

"That must be nice," Lorelai said. "So what does she look like? I've never seen her."

"Um, she's looks nice," Luke said.

"Nice? Luke, you gotta do better than that. Do you think she's beautiful?" Lorelai asked. Luke nodded. "Then you say she looks beautiful."

"Well then she's beautiful," Luke groaned.

"And?"

"And… she had brown hair, kinda short, she," Luke took a second to chuckle. "She always wears these shoes to class. High heels and by the end of the day she's basically dying. I told her that you wear sneakers every day, and Max said she should change professions."

"Oh, you told her about me?"

"Yeah, I mean on our first date, I ran out of things to talk about, and she mentioned the shoe thing, and that's why I brought you up," Luke said. Lorelai nodded.

"Gotcha, well you should bring her by the café sometime," Lorelai said.

"I should?"

"Well duh, she had to meet the town, know what she's really getting into," she nudged him.

"Alright, I'll bring her over for dinner sometime," Luke said. They were silent until they got to the hospital five minutes later.

* * *

After running around the first floor, they finally found Margret, who was yelling at the head of the nurses' department.

"Mom," Luke said, almost out of breath.

"Lucas, you came," his mother said. She seemed surprised to see him there.

"Of course I came. How's dad?"

"That's what I've been trying to find out but this woman keeps pestering me with idiotic questions like 'What's the number of my insurance policy' and 'how long have we had it.' It's a waste of time," Margret said, half to Luke, half to the nurse named Jane.

"I need the information," Jane said.

"You need sensitivity training," Margret snapped again. Luke stepped in and convinced the nurse to check on William. He made a good argument and won. Margret looked at Luke as the nurse walked away.

"You got rid of her," she said, impressed and surprised at her son.

"Yes, now tell me what happened," Luke said, and Margret told him everything about what happened.

"William was uncomfortable all night, then he got too hot and he went to turn down the thermostat-" Margret stopped when she caught sight of Lorelai standing there. "Luke, were you on a date?"

"What?" Luke asked, looking at Lorelai.

"You have a companion," Margret said, still looking at Lorelai.

"No, it's just Lorelai," Luke said.

"Which is his way of saying we weren't on a date," Lorelai said with a smile, even though the sentence hurt a little.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Luke said apologetically.

"Well how am I supposed to know you weren't on a date? It's Friday night and you show up here with a woman," Margret said, looking between them as if to determine if they were together.

"With Lorelai, mom," Luke sighed, wanting this conversation to be over. He definitely wasn't opposed to the idea of dating Lorelai, but Luke was too worried about his dad to think of that.

"It's not insane to assume a date was involved," Margret said.

"You're right, okay, it's entirely possible that I was out on a date," Luke said.

"Just not with me," Lorelai added. Luke rolled his eyes, wishing the woman would drop it.

"I was eating at her café when Roy called. Lorelai gave me a ride, end of story. Is Dr. Reynolds here?" Luke asked, steering the conversation back to the reason they were all there. Margret told Luke all of the details, leaving out anything about apple tarts. The nurse came back and told them that Richard was about to leave the examination room. As Margret left to find a suitable room, Luke went to fill out the paperwork. Roy came back to the main area when he spotted Lorelai sitting there, holding his dad's coat.

"Lorelai? What are you doing here?" Roy asked. Lorelai stood.

"I gave your dad a ride. We weren't on a date," Lorelai poked, only causing confusion.

"Okay?"

"He's over there, and your grandma is talking to the doctor," Lorelai said. "Your grandpa is going to be fine."

"I hope so," Roy said. Lorelai put a comforting hand on Roy's shoulder. He nodded then left to get as many newspapers as he could find so he could read them to William. Lorelai took her seat once again, then Luke came back out.

"Hey, any news?" Lorelai asked.

"He's out of the examination room. Mom made sure that he got a room with a view, so he'll be there in a few minutes," Luke said. Lorelai nodded.

"That's good," she said. Luke's face was firm. He had to learn at a young age that he needed to hope for the best but expect the worse. Recently, Luke couldn't get passed the "worse" part of it and move on to the "hope" part. As a man in a gurney passed them, Lorelai reacted. She held her breath and put her hand over her mouth.

"Jeez are you okay?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I'm just not big on hospitals you know the smell, people being wheeled by with tubes sticking out of them, you know, drainage, fluids, gaping holes…"

"Okay, listen, why don't you go home?"

"You want me to go?" Lorelai asked, truly wanting to stay longer.

"No, I just mean you don't look so good," Luke said.

"Gee, thanks," Lorelai said.

"That's not what I meant. You know you always look good," Luke said, adding on to his faux pas.

"Yeah?" Lorelai said with a twisty smile. Luke rolled his eyes and kept digging.

"I mean you always look healthy."

"Gotcha," Lorelai said, not letting the smirk down.

"But you don't look so healthy now. Now you look…" Luke motioned with his hands, as if to continue this thought.

"Unhealthy?" Lorelai offered.

"Yes, unhealthy," Luke said.

"Sure, sure," Lorelai said,

"Oh what? So I said you look good. We're not in 5th grade. 'You look good', big deal. Stop staring at me," Luke was getting flustered, but Lorelai was having too much fun. But then another patient was getting wheeled by in a wheelchair and Lorelai reacted again.

"For Christ…"

"See that's what you get for being cocky," Luke said, pointing to her face.

"Can it," she said.

* * *

After 10 minutes of silence, William was wheeled passed Luke and Lorelai on the way to his room.

"I'll get you some tea," Lorelai offered but Luke shook his head.

"No, I need some space to… think. I'll be right back," Luke said. Lorelai knew that Luke would occasionally get caught up in his head and needed a minute to figure out what was going on in his mind. When he left for the cafeteria, Lorelai sat in a chair outside of William's room. She was shortly joined by Margret.

"Do you mind if I sit?" Margret asked Lorelai.

"Please," she said, moving Luke's coat off the chair next to hers. "How is he?"

"Oh, you know, he's… He'll be okay," Margret said. Lorelai was never good with moms since she didn't have one for the majority of her life, so this interaction with Luke's mom made her feel a little uncomfortable. Nonetheless, Lorelai knew she needed to be there for the Gilmore family, all of them.

"It's a nice tie," Lorelai said, pointing at the bow tie in Margret's hands.

"It's Brooks Brothers," Margret said.

"I hear good things about them," Lorelai lied, not knowing about the company at all.

"It was bothering him tonight. I told him not to loosen it. I wanted him to look nice for our guests, so he didn't. And then well…The paramedics took it off him on the way here. I just haven't been able to put it down yet," Margret was on the verge of tears. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I must sound crazy."

"Not at all. I tried to preserve my father's entire store just the way he left it," Lorelai admitted.

"Really?"

"Well, I turned it into a café, but I kept the shelves and the pictures and everything, his desk in the office upstairs, even the _Richard's Hardware_ sign is still there."

"I'm sure he would've appreciated having his life's worked being honored like that," Margret said.

"He would've called me a damn fool," Lorelai smiled slightly before worrying about cursing in front of Luke's mom.

"Oh, well, I don't know what Luke has told you about her father, I can certainly imagine, but he's a very good man. He always did the right thing for his family."

"That's exactly what Luke told me," Lorelai said. Margret smiled at her, then gave her an inquisitive look.

"So what exactly is going on between the two of you?" She asked. Lorelai tried her hardest not to blush. She shook her head.

"Nothing. Really. We're friends," Lorelai said, leaving Margret unconvinced.

"You're good to him, I can tell," she said. Lorelai tried to laugh.

"I just feed him, that's it," Lorelai said.

"You feed him, you fix his house, you're more important than you give yourself credit for," Margret said.

"I guess," Lorelai said lamely.

"You're idiots, the both of you," Margret rolled her eyes, showing Lorelai where Luke got it from. Then Luke and Roy appeared. "There you are, where have you been?"

"Tea hunt. They didn't have anything besides hot chocolate and coffee," Roy said, carrying three stacks of newspapers.

"So what's going on?" Luke asked, looking between his mother and his friend.

"Your mother called me an idiot," Lorelai said, smiling at Luke.

"Wow, you must have sucked up good," he said, his face still stoic, but a bit lighter. He handed Lorelai a cup of coffee he didn't ask for, he just got it.

"Thank you," Lorelai said. She took a sip and Margret looked up at her son.

"The doctor will be here in a couple minutes," she said.

"Good," Luke said. He sat in the chair on the other side of Lorelai, who felt like a literal and figurative barrier between Luke and Margret. A few minutes passed and the doctor was finally ready to talk to the family. Luke took a step toward the room then froze.

"What's up?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know.

"You can't avoid going into that room forever."

"I'm not avoiding anything," Luke said unconvincingly.

"Admit you're afraid," Lorelai said softly.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Luke said.

"I do, and you know it," Lorelai said. She took a deep breath. "Go inside." Luke knew she was right, and went into the room. William was going to be fine as long as he changed his diet and exercise plans. Margret was teary-eyed and Luke was relieved. He decided to stay with his mom for a while.

* * *

"I'm glad he's going to be okay," Lorelai said as Luke walked her and Roy to the Jeep.

"Yeah, thanks for everything you've done today," Luke said.

"Of course, what are friends for?" Lorelai asked. Luke gave her a smile. Lorelai unlocked the car and she and Roy slid in. Luke leaned against the Jeep on Lorelai's side and she rolled down her window.

"I'll be home in a few hours, Lorelai do you mind making him some food?"

"Of course, do you want anything for when you come home?"

"Maybe a roast beef sandwich?" He said with a small smile.

"Back in the holiday mood?"

"Nah, it's fine," Luke said. He leaned closer to her, but then spoke around her to Roy. "Be good, I'll be home in a while."

"Bye Dad," Roy said. Luke leaned back.

"See you guys later," he said. Lorelai started the car. They shared a look before she rolled up the window and drove off.

* * *

A few days later, Luke was in Hartford to help his dad get resettled into the house. They shared a nice, healthy lunch before Luke went to finish his Christmas shopping. Historically, Luke gave practical gifts. Nothing too flashy or cute, nothing funny or decorative. He went into a department store in the mall to look for a specific pair of All-Star Converse shoes to give Roy. He browsed for a bit, trying to find the perfect gift for Lorelai.

For the last couple days, Luke had been trying to figure out what to get her. Last year, he gave her a cookbook. The year before that was a new hammer, because he dropped the old one into the lake the year before when he was setting up decorations for a wedding at the Inn. He was thinking about a coffee mug, but that wasn't enough. She had helped him so much that day, and he wanted to show his appreciation.

On the way to checkout, Luke passed a jewelry case. He never saw Lorelai wear jewelry, not counting her watch. Luke skimmed the case then found the perfect piece for Lorelai. It was a necklace with a leather cord and wooden beads and a carved wooden letter "L" charm on it. _For Lorelai_ , he thought. It was simple and he figured that she would like the thought behind it if anything.

He talked to the lady behind the counter and bought the necklace and the Converse. He picked up Roy from school and showed him the necklace.

"But what about the baseball glove?" Roy asked.

"Well you can still get her that, but this is more of a 'thank you' present, since she helped a lot with Grandpa," Luke said. Roy accepted that and they drove home as Roy talked about his winter plans with Tristan.

On Christmas Eve, Lorelai hosted her annual buffet-style dinner at the café. She, Sokka, and Cassy went all out: glazed ham, roast beef, two kinds of stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, two types of gravy, and green bean casserole. For dessert, they made pumpkin, apple, and cranberry pie, pudding, Jell-O with fruit in it, and of course Luke's apple tarts.

Luke, Roy, and Dawn sat next to Babette and Morey at the table in the corner so they could watch the snow fall outside.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Babette asked Luke, who was staring off into space.

"Yeah," Luke said.

"Lorelai's prediction was right on the money this year," Babette said. "On the 29th of November, she said that it would snow at 3:15. And sure enough, a quarter after 3:00 and it's snowing like rain."

"It's a gift," Lorelai said. "Alright, you all know the drill. In order to get the food, you must present me with a gift. Anything lighter than 5 pounds will result in rationed portions," she said with a strict tone, then she laughed. "Just kidding, I'll accept anything." The line formed and Lorelai served her friends. She gave Roy extra pudding and Luke extra beef without them asking.

"So where's Maxine?" Miss Patty asked Luke as they all sat down.

"She's at her parents, tonight. I'll get to see her tomorrow," Luke said. He talked to Maxine the night at the hospital after Lorelai and Roy left. She was worried, but the conversation was brushed off as she figured Luke had it all handled.

"Get her a good present?" Babette asked. Lorelai resisted a snort and gave Luke a look.

"I got her a pair of bookends," Luke said.

"That's just because Lorelai stopped him getting her cat-shaped oven mitts," Roy said with a mouth full of food.

"The mitts would have been fine," Lorelai defended.

"Just the bookends were better," Luke said.

"A lot better," Roy jumped in. The gang laughed and Babette and Morey told them about their newest kitten, Apricot.

After he was done eating, Roy gave Lorelai the baseball glove and Lorelai gave him his present.

"Thanks Lorelai!" Roy said excitedly. She had given him an envelope with a picture of a bookshelf inside.

"You can pick out the wood and the stain, and then we can make it together, if you want," she said with a shrug. After that, Roy and Dawn went to watch the twinkle lights outside and exchange gifts.

As the patrons filed out, Lorelai started to clean up. Luke stayed behind and started washing down the tables as she loaded the dishwasher.

"You really don't have to help," Lorelai said, despite enjoying his company.

"You've helped me a lot, especially lately with my dad, so it's the least I could do," Luke said. Lorelai shrugged and accepted the free labor. They worked in silence until the restaurant was spotless. Luke sat at the counter and snacked on the leftover apple tarts. Lorelai made a quick trip upstairs and got a couple beers and Luke's present.

"Merry Christmas, Luke," Lorelai said, handing him both a beverage and the gift.

"Thanks," he said. "You know, the beer would have been enough."

"Yeah, but I saw this and I couldn't not get it for you," Lorelai said. Luke took a swig of the beer before setting it down. After opening the present, Luke couldn't help but to smile.

"A flannel shirt," Luke said, holding it up. It was a blue plaid shirt, just like the ones she wore. "Is this one of yours?"

"Yeah, I was going through them all and I realized I hardly ever wore that one because it was too big. I figured you might like it. If not, you can donate it or something," Lorelai said. Luke smiled and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, revealing a white undershirt. He put on the flannel to test it out.

"It fits," he said. "I love it. Thanks Lorelai." She blushed.

"You're welcome. And I love the mitt, I needed a new one," Lorelai said. She was about to get up when he slid a small wrapped box over to her. "I already got the glove."

"That was from Roy, this is from me," Luke said. Lorelai destroyed the wrapping paper and opened the box, revealing the leather and wood necklace.

"Oh Luke," she said with a smile.

"I heard that girls like jewelry, so there you go," he said bashfully.

"It's great, L for Lorelai?" she asked and Luke nodded. She put it on and looked at it from under her chin. "It's perfect, thank you." She leaned over to give him a hug, but the stool gave out from under her. She practically fell into his arms, but his sturdy frame caught her. Lorelai felt his muscular torso and arms as he helped her up.

"You okay?" He asked. She shook her head free from those thoughts she was trying to ignore.

"Yeah, sorry," she said. Then she hugged him for real. It was a different kind of hug. It wasn't just their usual friendly hug. To her, it was more. They parted and looked outside at the lights and the parade. Lorelai turned off the lights and they stood at the window.

"It looks good," Lorelai said. "The shirt, I mean."

"Thanks, the necklace looks on you too," Luke said. Lorelai took the compliment. They stood for a beat.

"Good how?" She asked. Luke rolled his eyes.

"Good," he said, looking over at her. He wrapped one arm around her and they watch the processional. Lorelai felt comfortable in his arms, and Luke forgot about Maxine until he left Lorelai's. Maybe Max wasn't the woman for him.

* * *

 **So there's December! 'Forgiveness and Stuff' was one of my favorite episodes, mostly because of the amount of LL moments.**

 **Please, if you have any specific moments you want me to gender swap, or suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review!**


	5. February: Firelight Festivities

**Hey, long time no read!** **Thanks for sticking around!** **I'm sorry that it's been a while since I've updated. Here's my long-winded explanation:**

 **My favorite English professor in college told me once that being bored or working in monotony causes your brain to be creative. Well, I scan papers for 8 hours a day, and it's probably one of the most boring jobs I've done. While I work, I listen to music and I think about my stories, thinking up plots and changes I need to make. Unfortunately, there isn't any down time I can write during, which is why this chapter took so long to compose and upload. I was recently trained to answer phones, so if I'm in switchboard I have plenty of time to write. But, because I can't go on personal websites, use personal computers, or upload personal documents on the company computers, I couldn't work on this chapter during work. Instead, I worked on a couple of oneshots, which I might publish in a few weeks or so.**

 **In this chapter, you get a lot more screen time with Maxine Medina. Along with exploring a little bit of Luke's personal life/romantic side, the main purpose of this chapter is to give more of Lorelai's backstory.**

* * *

 **February 2001: Firelight Festival**

Since Roy's second semester started, Luke and Maxine's relationship became more serious. They were spending most of their weekends together, including some nights spent at Max's apartment. At first, Roy felt a little awkward about the development of Luke's relationship, especially after he opened the front door one night and Luke and Maxine were kissing on the porch. But since then, Roy's become more and more immune to the affection and physical contact.

One chilly February night, Luke got home from work later than usual because he had stopped at Doose's. Somehow, Max convinced Luke into making her dinner that Sunday, and Luke figured that he needed to practice.

"You went grocery shopping?" Roy asked as he exited his bedroom. Luke usually had a plethora of fruits and veggies stocked in the house, but no other food of substance. Roy lived off of produce and processed food, with very little variation in between.

"Yeah, how does hamburger helper sound for dinner?" Luke said, shaking the box as he pulled it out of the reusable bag. Roy started to laugh until he realized his dad was being serious.

"It sounds like a bad idea," Roy said, trying to take the box away.

"But I want to cook," Luke said. Roy laughed.

"You can make soup. And you can cut up fruit. That's it."

"No. I want to really cook, with actual food."

"Fine," Roy gave in, despite the inevitable disaster. "I'll help."

"Okay. I need a pan," Luke said, looking at the directions.

"And a fire extinguisher," Roy mumbled. Luke dug his elbow into Roy's ribcage as Roy laughed.

"Funny, funny boy," Luke asked absently.

"Did you buy hamburger?" Roy asked, only half-joking.

"Awe shit," Luke said.

"Really dad?"

"No, of course I bought hamburger. I'm not stupid." After they got the stove on and the hamburger started, Roy looked over at his dad.

"So, tell me, why the sudden need to be domestic?" Roy asked,

"Ah, I don't know. I'm just in a funky mood."

"Why?"

"Too many stars, too much love, I'm nauseous," Luke said, referring to the Firelight Festival later that week.

"Nauseated," Roy corrected automatically.

"What?"

"If you're nauseous, that means that you _cause_ nausea. If you're nauseated, then you _have_ nausea."

"Fine, the love fest is nauseating," Luke gave up.

"Wow, you've really fallen for Ms. Medina," Roy said a smirk. Luke always blamed Lorelai for teaching Roy how to smirk like that.

"No, I haven't."

"Maybe that's why you're nauseated."

"Okay, new subject," Luke said, stirring in the noodles.

"You're completely infatuated. You're nesting, you're preparing," Roy teased. His dad tensed and let out a big sigh.

"How's the meat doing?"

"Ramesses, king of denial," Roy said lightly.

"The pan, Chucky. Please," Luke was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the subject. He had feelings for Maxine, that was obvious, but Luke didn't know exactly how he felt about her. This was definitely the deepest relationship he'd had since Rachel. When Luke thought of his future, he tried to picture Maxine in it, and lately, it's becoming easier for him to imagine it.

"Okay fine. New topic."

"Thank you."

"By the way, the food is burning," Roy said with a smirk.

"Oh shit," Luke grumbled and moved the pan off the burner. He took the lid off and examined the burnt mess.

"That is now a permanent part of the pan," Luke said, even surprising himself at the awful quality of the cooking.

"What now?" Roy asked.

"What do you think?" Luke said as he tossed the pan out the back door to keep the smell outside.

"To Lorelai's!"

* * *

The walk to the café was silent as Roy tried to hide his amusement at his dad. They walked into the restaurant and sat at the counter, waiting to be served. Lorelai walked over and Luke noticed the necklace right away. He had given it to her almost two months ago, but she hadn't taken it off.

"Hey boys, feeling the loooove this week?" Lorelai asked. Luke rolled his eyes and groaned. Lorelai inhaled and caught a waft of something disgusting. "What is that smell?"

"Dad is nesting," Roy said.

"I am not nesting," Luke denied. Lorelai gave him a curious look.

"Why are you nesting? And why does nesting smell like the 7th circle of hell?"

"Because he's in love," Roy smirked at his dad. Luke's face turned a particular shade of red as Lorelai's face grew paler.

"You're in love?" She asked as a bullet hit her heart.

"I'm not in love," Luke tried to convince them, but Lorelai wasn't buying it.

"He's totally in love," Roy said.

"Well how can you tell? You're 16," Lorelai asked, and Luke gestured toward her as an unspoken 'thank you' for being on his side. "But seriously, why do you to smell?"

"He's cooking," Roy whispered as if it was a secret.

"Cooking?" Lorelai repeated.

"Well, he's making an attempt to cook. He burnt the hamburger part of hamburger helper, which is why we're here," Roy explained.

"Aren't guys supposed to be good at cooking meat? And it's hamburger, it's probably the easiest meat to cook. Burgers are a staple of American cuisine."

"It's harder than it looks," Luke said.

"Come on, Burger Boy, how can you not perpetuate the stereotype of a masculine, grilling guy?" Lorelai rambled a bit, trying to cover up her initial shock.

"But that's not all," Roy said.

"It's not?" Luke and Lorelai asked at the same time.

"Nope, he's starting to buy pillows and blankets," Roy said. "Even though we have enough at home."

"Wow Luke, you _are_ nesting," Lorelai said.

"Well I might be nesting, but I'm not in love," Luke said. That he was sure of… maybe.

"If this was a bad sitcom, Maxine would be standing right behind you," Lorelai said. Luke and Roy spun around in their stools to look at the door, reveling no one.

"Why would you do that?" Luke asked.

"I said _if_ we were in a sitcom, she'd be here. I didn't actually say she was here," Lorelai pointed out. "Besides, now I know you're definitely in love."

"How?" Luke asked.

"Because if you weren't, you wouldn't have freaked out when you thought she was behind you. You were worried about her hearing you. You're _so_ in love with her," Lorelai winked at him and finally took their order.

When she went to the kitchen to start it, Lorelai finally was able to drop the happy look from her face. _Luke is in love._ Was the mantra going through Lorelai's head as he prepared their sandwiches. She kicked herself for every missed opportunity. She wished she would have admitted her feelings earlier. But, Luke was with the teacher. The smart, probably beautiful, maybe funny teacher. Lorelai comforted herself by the simple fact that Luke was still her friend. As long as he was in her life, Lorelai would be happy.

* * *

When Roy went out to walk Dawn home from work, Luke stood up to pay.

"I am not in love with Maxine," Luke repeated as he handed Lorelai the bills.

"You're in denial," Lorelai said.

"Would you stop?" Luke asked, having heard enough from both her and Roy.

"Not just a river in Egypt," Lorelai muttered. Luke thought of the other Egypt joke Roy had made, and was almost pleased by how much his son and Lorelai were alike.

"Why are you pestering me so much about this?" Luke asked. Lorelai looked at him and they shared a look.

"You really want to know?" Lorelai asked in a small voice.

"I asked, didn't I?" Luke braced himself for some sort of teasing, a joke, some crack about him never sticking in a relationship for too long. Lorelai stood on the backs of her heels and put her hand on her hip.

"Because, it's just what happens when you're in love. Your friends pick on you. They tease you. I'm poking at you because you're my friend. I tease Cassy about Trevor, I tease Sokka about Jackson, and I tease you about Max. That's how it is."

"Wait, Sokka and Jackson?" Luke asked. "They're a thing?"

"Wait, you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"That they're together. They've been going out since they kissed on New Year's," Lorelai said.

"I had no idea," Luke said. Of course, he knew that Sokka was gay, and he suspected Jackson was too, but Luke never noticed any sort of co-mingling between them. Luke also wasn't really looking.

"Well, the more you know," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"Huh," Luke said, still trying to figure out how he missed it. "Well good for them. Maybe they'll stop bickering over the produce."

"Probably not," Lorelai said.

"Yeah," Luke let out a short laugh. "Probably not."

"So, our boy's in love," Lorelai looked out the window at Roy and Dawn.

"Lorelai, I'm not, just drop it."

"I was talking about Roy."

"Roy's in love?"

"Isn't it obvious? Like misery, love loves company. He's in love, and he's trying to get you on the feelings bandwagon," Lorelai said.

"Oh boy," Luke said. "He's going to get his heart broken."

"Or he won't. He won't know unless he tells her," Lorelai said. "And you won't know either."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Luke mumbled. They were silent for a beat, neither wanting to get into this argument again.

"Luke?" Lorelai asked before he could turn to leave.

"Yeah?"

"I can stop _pestering_ you about Max, if you want," she said, nervously smoothing out her hair.

"Nah, now that I know it's not just me that you're bullying, I feel better," Luke said.

"I bully because I care," Lorelai said with a straight face. Then a smile broke and Luke rolled his eyes.

"Well, the next time you get a boyfriend, I'll pick on you about him. Even the score," Luke said.

"It's only fair," Lorelai agreed. "But you might have to wait a while. I see no significant other in my future," she moved her hands around an imaginary crystal ball.

"Well, Nostradamus, I think you're wrong," Luke said. It was rare that he played along with her bits, but this time he couldn't resist. He put his fingers to his temples like a psychic. "The stars have aligned and you will find someone soon."

"Oh thanks," Lorelai said. "A very trust-worthy source."

"See ya," Luke said, parting with a small wave.

"See ya," Lorelai said. Her heart ached every time he left, but the retreating view wasn't too bad to look at.

* * *

The next day, Luke had a rough morning. First, the power had gone out overnight, so his alarm clock didn't go off in the morning. He just barely made it to work on time after digging his truck out of the 5 inches of snow they received that night. And on top of everything, the previous night's conversation with Lorelai kept replaying through his head. Was he in love with Maxine?

"How is the weather outside?" Michelle asked Luke, who was grumbling around. The only good part of the snow was that Friday night dinner was cancelled out of safety concerns.

"It is cold and gray," Luke said shortly. Murphy's law was working overtime at the Independence Inn that day, and Luke was working overtime as well as a result of it.

"Oh, we'll need to pull out the sleds, people might want to sled. Ooh, and the parkas. We'll need the parkas," Michelle was acting more chipper than usual. Of course, she was having a good day when Luke's having a bad one.

"For what?" Luke couldn't understand why anyone would want to be outside on a crappy day like that. Especially Michelle.

"In case anyone wants to hike," she said as if it were obvious.

"You know that not everyone finds the idea of being pelted with frozen water appealing, right?" Luke asked dully.

"Yes, and how sad for them. I am telling you, five minutes in a snowball fight we could knock that stick right out of your ass," Michelle said with an eyeroll.

"I haven't noticed a stick in his ass," Max said, appearing at the front desk. Luke almost forgot they had a date that night. To Michelle's groan, Luke leaned across the counter to kiss Maxine on the cheek. His mood instantly perked up.

"Hey, I'm out of here in a few minutes, you good waiting? There're some books by the couches," Luke said.

"Sure, I saw 'Bird Watching for Beginners' on my way in," Max said. She smiled politely at Michelle and then sat down.

"You guys make me sick," Michelle said before checking in the next guest.

* * *

Half an hour passed and Luke walked over to Maxine.

"Hey, I'm real sorry about this. But because it's so cold, some of the pipes are freezing. I gotta handle this," Luke said. He was getting nervous with her just sitting there.

"That's totally fine. Want me to run into town and get you tea or something from Lorelai's?" Maxine offered. Luke was surprised by the suggestion. She had been in there only a couple of times, and never by herself.

"That'd be great, yeah, thanks," he said. He reached in his pocket for cash but Max rolled her eyes and stopped him.

"Absolutely not. I know that you'll want to pay for dinner, plus you're making me dinner tomorrow night, so I think I can manage to get some tea," she said. Luke wasn't a fan of letting anyone, especially women, buy him things. But as times changed, so did Luke's attitude toward it.

"I'll see you later then," Luke said. Max gave him a quick kiss before heading out.

* * *

That Friday, the café wasn't too busy, due of the festivities outside. So when a customer came in, all of Lorelai's attention was on them. That afternoon, the bell jingled as someone entered. Lorelai looked up from her latte experiments, and was surprised to see Maxine there without Luke.

"Hey, Maxine," Lorelai greeted the teacher as she walked up to the counter. Maxine's heels clicked as she stepped, which reminded Lorelai of Luke's earlier comment about shoes.

"Hi Lorelai," her smile was soft. "Can I get two teas to-go?"

"Sure thing, is one for Luke?" Lorelai asked, needing to know which tea canister to pick from. She had two: one for the general public with basic cheap tea she got from the bulk store, and the other was just for Luke, which was filled with higher quality tea from specific store in Hartford.

"Yup, he's working late at the inn, so I thought I'd provide him with his favorite drink," Maxine said. Then she froze. "Which tea is his favorite? I know he drinks green tea, and black tea, and herbal, lots of herbal. Um, do you know his favorite?" Lorelai felt a wave of superiority, knowing right away what tea to give Luke.

"In winter, he likes peppermint tea," Lorelai said, reaching into Luke's canister. "In summer, I make this iced sweet tea using a combination of green and citrusy teas. He actually doesn't drink much black tea, only if the other options are more bitter. And herbal is sort of his daily usual if he's not feeling fancy."

"Wow, you know a lot about him," Maxine said. Then her phone rang.

"I'll start on the tea," Lorelai said. She stepped away as Maxine answered the phone.

"Hey you," she said and Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I just got here." … "Oh." … "No, no, I completely understand." … "Don't worry about it. I'll just stay here. Maybe I'll scope out the festivities before you get here." … "Okay, see you then. Bye."

"Here you go," Lorelai said, setting the two cups in front of Max.

"Actually, do you mind putting both into a mug for here? That was Luke."

"Can't get away from the inn?"

"Nope, two employees called in because either their cars wouldn't start or are snowed in," Maxine said. For no reason at all, the way Max pronounced either, like _eye_ -ther, bothered Lorelai.

"And nice-guy Luke is covering their shifts," Lorelai said.

"Pretty much," Maxine nodded. "And one can only read so many books in lobby before getting a little restless."

"Did you read 'Gnomes of the West?' It's not too bad."

"Yeah, I read it after 'Bird Watching for Beginners' and before 'Connecticut Trees,'" Max laughed lightly.

"Well we have some good shops here, but most of them are probably closed because of the festival," Lorelai said, trying to give Maxine some options.

"It is okay with you if I stay here for a while?" She asked.

"Yeah, mi café es tu café," Lorelai said.

"Bueno," Max said. "Could I get a chocolate scone? I hear they're the best in town."

"Now who told you that?" Lorelai said as she plucked the pastry from the display case.

"Roy, he raves about this place."

"Well I do my best. Here you go," Lorelai said as she handed Maxine the scone on a plate. Lorelai started wiping down tables in preparation for closing early, as she did for most festivals.

"So tell me about yourself," Maxine said when Lorelai returned behind the counter.

"Oh, well, what do you want to know?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I feel like I know you already, by how much Luke and Roy talk about you," Maxine said, in a tone that was almost too friendly.

"Yeah, well they're here almost every day, so I guess we know each other pretty well," Lorelai said. "What have they said?"

"Um, that you single handedly keep them fed, sheltered, and clothed."

"Well Luke can't cook that well, so that's a given. I fix up their place when I can. And for having clothed them, I mean I've donated clothes to the Roy Gilmore fund. And I knit winter-wear for most of the town, so they've gotten some gloves and scarves throughout the years."

"You're a good friend to them," Maxine said. Lorelai sighed.

"I would feel bad if they starved or froze," Lorelai shrugged.

"So what were you working on over there?" Max pointed to the unfinished latte on the counter.

"Oh, I just like coming up with new recipes. Like this one," Lorelai reached for a mug, "is a hazelnut latte-my favorite-with a pump of almond and raspberry syrup."

"Sounds interesting," Max said. Lorelai took a gulp and smiled.

"What else do you want to know about me?" Lorelai asked.

"Are you dating anyone?"

"Now Maxine, I don't think it's appropriate to ask me out," Lorelai joked. Maxine laughed and shook her head. "Luke hasn't answered that for you?"

"I haven't asked him," Max said admittedly.

"Yeah, well he would tell you that I am perpetually single."

"And are you?"

"Pretty much. I mean, I'm not un-date-able. I have good qualities, I'm sure," Lorelai chuckled nervously. "Miss Patty, um, has Luke told you about her?"

"The dance instructor who ogles him daily?" Maxine said. Lorelai laughed.

"That's the one. Well she has this little blue book."

"Not a little black book?"

"Oh, she has that too, but that's for herself. No, she has a little blue book just for me. It's filled with names and numbers and pictures of eligible bachelors she thinks I would be interested in."

"No!" Max's eyes were wide.

"Yes!" Lorelai mocked mildly. "She'll go out to a bar, or a wedding, or a funeral even, and she'll just walk up to guys in their 30s, show them a few pictures of me, then get their information."

"30's? How old are you?"

"28," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"But she doesn't give them your number, right?"

"She used to!"

"What?"

"Yeah, she used to give out my number to these 'young handsome men.' At one wedding, she drank way too much and told about 30 different people my number. Young, old, men, women, anyone that would take it. I guess Patty thought I needed options. Over the next week, I had gotten more phone calls than ever. So much so that I had to get a new number."

"I can't even imagine. Did you go out with any of them?"

"Not a single one," Lorelai said proudly. "Miss Patty's taste in fellows falters a bit when she drinks."

"So you're not with anyone now?" Maxine confirmed sarcastically.

"Nope. My last serious boyfriend… Man, must have been about 3 years ago now."

"How serious was it?"

"Well, there's three eras in our relationship: Pre-college, and college-plus."

"Ooo, a trilogy," Maxine said. "How did you meet?"

"Right here, actually," Lorelai said. She pointed to the floor. "Well, Christopher grew up in Stars Hollow together. One day in middle school, he and his dad stopped in here, it was a hardware store at the time. And I helped them find a wrench. The next day at school he asked me if I wanted to play kickball with him and his friends."

"That's just darling. Very small-town," Max said.

"And we were close ever since. We dated in high school."

"Then?"

"Well I went to community college to get by associate's degree in business. While I was here, Chris was traveling the country. He had gotten an internship with a big photography publisher. He was carrying camera, adjusting lights, grabbing coffee, and he loved every minute of it."

"Distance can be hard."

"It put a toll on us. We broke up after a few months of him being on the road. And it was fine, we were 18 and, I don't know, we were already growing at different rates, you know?"

"Did you date much in college?"

"I dated some. Coffee here, dinner there, political protest on the weekends, the usual stuff," Lorelai said, hiding the fact that she spent most of her college years taking care of her dad. "After two years, I got my associate's, and I went to culinary school. Oh, you know Sokka from the inn, right?"

"Definitely! His risotto is amazing," Max raved.

"He and I were in the same program, which sent us abroad to study at this prestigious culinary school in France. And while we were over there, Chris was working his way up the artsy-fartsy ladder. At that point, he was doing international projects with a mentor. I got a call from Chris completely out of the blue. He told me to go to that lock bridge in France-"

"The Passerelle des Arts?"

"Yeah that," Lorelai nodded. "He said 'Meet me there at midnight and bring a baguette.' Coincidentally, we were making bread that day, so I brought my homework to the bridge. And there he was, standing on the bridge, with a bouquet of daisies."

"Daisies?" Maxine asked, and Lorelai could almost feel the superiority vibe from her.

"Yeah, he and I had a running joke of over exaggerated romantic gestures. Once," Lorelai started laughing. "Once we read an old article from the Stars Hallow Gazette. A man named Albert Austin had spent years planting a wild flower field next to his family farm. Then he fell in love with a woman, Evelyn Mosser. She had mentioned that her favorite flower was a daisy. So he spend that spring planting a hundred daisies in one corner of the field. And of course, weeds spread. That summer the entire field had been overrun by daisies. They got married that July."

"That's actually a really sweet story."

"I know! When Chris brought me the bouquet, I completely melted."

"Well obviously."

"He would stop by my campus every week to see me. We'd always met at this café, and he would always bring me at least one daisy. After my study abroad term ended, we parted again. But after I graduated the next semester, it lined up that he was back in the States, so he was here to help convert my dad's hardware store to this café. But after I had this place up and running, he got a photography job in South America. From then on, I had an open door policy. Whenever he would come around town, he could stay with me. I had cancelled several dates because I already had a house guest."

"It must have been hard him coming and going."

"Yeah, it was," Lorelai said. "He came back about a year later for about a week before he left again."

"And you haven't seen him since? Haven't heard from him?"

"He came back again the next year, so about three years ago."

"How did that go?"

"How you feel about one-night stands," Lorelai countered.

"No," Maxine said.

"On my birthday."

"No!" Maxine was appalled. Lorelai almost forgot how awful it was.

"Yeah, he said that he was on a road trip, photographing old style diners and gas stations along the coast. He drove through town, took pictures of my café, we had sex, and when I woke up the next morning, he was gone."

"Oh Lorelai, I can't even imagine."

"I just felt so… used, you know?"

"Yeah. So it's been three years since you've seen him?"

"Three years," Lorelai confirmed.

"And you haven't heard anything about him?"

"The last time I heard his name was when his parents moved out of town last year. They said he was in Canada or something."

"Wow," was all that Maxine could come up with.

"The whole town seems to have this unspoken agreement to not talk about him to me. I mean, I'm sure they had a private town meeting, or Miss Patty just spread the gossip," Lorelai said.

"At least they care about your feelings," Max said.

"Yeah, they're good people," Lorelai nodded and smiled lightly.

"Is the open-door policy still in place?"

"I don't know. I never officially revoked it. But he hasn't been here in a while, so it might have expired."

"Well at least now you can move on," Maxine offered helpfully.

"Why did you want to know if I was dating anyone?"

"I was thinking of asking you to double date with Luke and I, but I wasn't sure if you had a significant other or not. And I didn't really know how to bring it up with Luke."

"Well, unless you can find me a date, I'm pretty SOL."

"No one's caught your eye?" Maxine asked. Lorelai almost laughed at the dramatic irony unfolding before her. _'Yeah, actually, your boyfriend caught my eye, five years ago!'_

"Nope, besides, a relationship just not in the cards at the moment."

"Well you seem like you're going pretty well by yourself."

"Very well," Lorelai gave a smile. "Speaking of very well, how are you and Luke?"

"Good, great," Max said with a big smile and a blush to match. "He's… perfect, you know?" He's kind and considerate. And so funny."

"He is that," Lorelai said.

"And we can just talk for hours, you know?"

"Oh, definitely," Lorelai said sarcastically, having had difficulties getting more than one-syllable words out of him at a time. But Max was being serious and didn't catch the tone.

"At dinner, we never run out of things to talk about. Mostly he talks about Roy or the town. Sometimes about his parents." _I wonder if he ever talks about me,_ Lorelai thought.

"Oh yeah, he can talk for days about his parents," Lorelai laughed.

"Really? He's only mentioned them to me a couple of times," Max said suddenly puzzled. "Does he talk to you about his parents a lot?"

"No, not _a lot_ ," Lorelai said unconvincingly. "I meant to say that I'm sure he _could_ talk for days about his parents."

"Yeah, they seem to have an interesting relationship."

"I agree," Lorelai said. "What else do you guys talk about?"

"Oh, everything. Past, present, future. We talk about our dreams and aspirations."

"I'm glad he has someone he can share that stuff with," Lorelai said. _Even if that person isn't me._

"One night in bed," Max started and Lorelai froze momentarily. "Sorry, is that too much information?"

"Nah, it's fine," Lorelai laughed it off. "I need to live vicariously through someone in a good relationship. And that includes pillow talk." Max seemed eager enough to share, because she pulled Lorelai down to the stool next to her.

"Okay, so we were in bed, after some pretty phenomenal sex," Max started and Lorelai was surprised about how open she was sharing this. "I told him about how I want to finish this book I've been working on for the better of 10 years. I was like, I never thought that I would still be working on this a decade later. Then I asked him what he wanted to be in 10 years. Do you know what he said?"

"If I did, would that be creepy?" Lorelai joked.

"He said that he wanted to be married with a couple kids."

"Wow, that's a little surprising."

"I know! I mean the married part is a no brainer. But he wants more kids. I didn't think he liked kids."

"Yeah, he always said he got lucky with Roy."

"Exactly. So I was totally caught off guard."

"Did he say he wanted all of that with you?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm not sure," Max said with a vulnerable expression. "What do you think?"

"Well, have you said, 'I love you,' yet?" Lorelai asked for her own sanity.

"No, but I think I want to," Max said. "Do you think I should?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Lorelai said. "If you feel something, you should tell him as soon as possible. It's the best way to do things. Because either he rejects you, and hey, better earlier than later in my opinion. Or he feels the same way, and you live happily ever after." Lorelai was always the one with the best advice for her friends, but never took it herself.

"I like that idea," Max said with a broad smile. "I think I'll tell him tonight."

"Well it's the perfect night for it. This festival is in honor of two people who were willing to die for their love," Lorelai said, almost dying inside. After a bunch of grinning and no words, Lorelai broke the silence.

"Maxine, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, I'm an open book."

"How has being Roy's teacher affected the relationship?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that is it ever awkward in class? Is it against the rules? Will you be shunned for dating a student's parent?"

"Well I wouldn't say shunned, but a week ago, I got an email from my boss. It said that a student saw me kissing a parent, and my position for tenure would be at risk."

"What? Max, you should talk to Luke about that."

"Why? It's my job, it's my decision."

"I know, but..." Lorelai trailed off.

"But what?" Max wasn't being snappy, she was honestly seeking advice.

"When Chris came back for the one-night stand, he had asked me if I wanted to leave town with him. Take an extended vacation and travel across the country. If I had said yes, I knew I'd never make it back here. And I had only been open for a few years. I needed to keep going with my job. So I chose work over him."

"Do you regret that?"

"Sometimes I miss him, or I wish I had someone there for me, and I wish I could travel more. But I have a solid home here. I have a purpose in this town. I have friends who are practically family. I'm happy here, and I know I'd feel lost if I spent so much time trying to make a name for myself, then give all that up for a guy."

"I'm not going to be giving up my life," Max was offended and Lorelai needed to fix it.

"No, no, no I'm not saying that's what you're doing. That's what I decided not to do. I'm sure that Luke is a great choice, but personally, I wouldn't make it."

"So you're saying I have to be one of these women who have a career but no one to share it with? How do you like that?"

"Ouch," Lorelai said. "I'm so sorry, Max, I didn't mean to offend you. I just… I want you both to be happy. And if your career is going to be affected by this, then it could come back and hurt the relationship." Maxine took several deep breaths.

"I know," she admitted quietly. "I know I need to figure it out."

"You really need to talk to Luke about this, he can help you make the decision."

"Yeah, you're right," Maxine said. Just as she said that, someone walked into the diner.

"What's she right about?" Luke asked. The women turned and Luke saw the distraught faces before they turned into a pair of fake smiles.

"That the firelight festival is overrated, it makes me nauseous," Lorelai said with a forced laugh.

"Nauseated," Luke corrected.

"What?"

"It makes you nauseated. If it makes you nauseous, then it's causing you to cause nausea," Luke said. Lorelai and Max shared a look, showing they were impressed.

"Well then, nauseated it is," Lorelai said. "I'll get you a couple fresh teas."

"So what were you two ladies talking about?" Luke asked.

"Just your deepest darkest secrets," Lorelai said. "I told her all about how Crazy Carry made out with you on the first New Year's Eve I knew him."

"Lorelai," Luke warned. "She came out of nowhere."

"He washed his mouth out for weeks," Lorelai told Maxine, who was smiling in amusement.

"We're going to go by the fire now."

"Will we see you out there?" Max asked Lorelai.

"Yeah, maybe," Lorelai said. "Have fun! You have to drink the punch if you get a chance."

"Don't drink the punch," Luke warned as they walked out the door.

"See ya," Lorelai said to no one.

* * *

An hour later, the sun had set and the fire was lit. Luke and Maxine were walking around, nursing their first round of punch.

"So what did you and Lorelai talk about?" Luke asked.

"Oh, you know, girl stuff. Jobs and relationships," Maxine said.

"Relationships, you talked about me?"

"A little. I learned about her ex-boyfriend, Chris," Max said. "It's terrible how it ended."

"How did it end?"

"You don't know?"

"No, we don't really talk about that stuff," Luke said with a shrug. "She had mentioned an ex, but she never told me the details on it."

"Well apparently, Christopher has been in and out of her life since high school. The last time he was here was three years ago, and it was only for a one-night stand. On her birthday," Max emphasized.

"Wow, that would explain some things," Luke said. Max looked at him for clarification. "I remember three years ago, Lorelai had a great birthday party. Everyone came over to the café, we drank and ate pizza and it was actually kind of fun. But the next day, she was in the worst mood I had ever seen. I thought she was just hung over, but even when I made an accidently _dirty_ comment, she didn't point it out."

"That's a strange thing to remember," Max said. Luke had been careful not to bring up Lorelai that much in an attempt to avoid awkward instances like that.

"Well, you spent a lot of time with her today. She's usually a pretty happy and loud person. So when she isn't happy and loud, that thing sort of sticks," Luke said.

"I guess," Max agreed, who was being uncharacteristically quiet herself.

"So you talked about jobs too?"

"Yeah, well, she was trying to give me career advice."

"Trying?"

"Yeah, well, a work-life balance," she said. Luke's ears perked up.

"In what way?" Luke asked. And that's when Maxine told him everything. She told him about what the chancellor had said, and what Lorelai had done, and what Lorelai told her to do.

"So? What should I do?" Maxine asked.

"This isn't my decision."

"Lorelai said that I shouldn't make the choice, so I want you to make it," Maxine was fully aware that she was taking Lorelai's words out of context. "So, what do you think?"

* * *

After Maxine drove away, Luke was left all alone to deal with his decision. His head replayed the last twenty minutes over and over again. He looked over to the bonfire and saw Lorelai drinking the punch and laughing with Sokka and Cassy. That sight alone, of her happy and ignorant, was enough to motivate Luke to march over there.

"Lorelai!" He called over as he approached.

"Hey Luke," she waved. _Waved_. Like she didn't know what she did wrong. In her defense, she didn't.

"I need to talk to you," he said, ignoring the greetings from the others.

"Sure Luke, what's up?" She asked. Lorelai had no idea why he was so upset.

"I need to talk to you privately," he said, looking at Lorelai's oldest friends before grabbing Lorelai's arm and pulling her across the street by the café.

"What's your damage, Heather!" She said as he let go. When she looked up, she saw Luke looking madder than she had ever seen him. "Luke, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with _you_?"

"Nothing, besides that this is my fourth cup of punch," Lorelai said. "And you spilled most of it, thanks."

"Can't you be serious for one minute? Can you not make jokes for once in your life?" Luke was steaming.

"I could, but I like to watch that vein pop out of your neck," Lorelai said, becoming angry herself. "Tell me what I did so I know that we're fighting about."

"Why would you tell Maxine that she has to choose between me and her job?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She told me that you told her that 6 years ago, you had to pick between a guy and your job, and you chose the job. So now you put it in her head that she can't have both."

"I didn't tell her that! The email from the chancellor told her that," Lorelai said, still feeling guilty.

"Well you provoked her!" Luke was pacing now.

"Luke, what happened?" Lorelai asked.

"She said that I had to decide for her. Me or the job," Luke said. Talking to Lorelai always helped, and that day was no different.

"That's insane!"

"Yeah, well she said that it was your idea," Luke was beginning to calm down, but his tone didn't reflect that.

"I never told her to make you decide. I suggested that she make the decision sooner than later."

"Why are you even telling her that stuff? Why do you always have to get involved?" Luke asked, sounding more angry than he actually was. Lorelai took a step back. She had never been yelled at by Luke like that before. She felt a sense of panic and guilt, but also insult.

"I, I don't know," Lorelai stammered. "She was giving me a lot of information, and I was trying to absorb it all. I thought I was doing the right thing. I was trying to..." She trailed off, not wanting to admit her true motives.

"To what, Lorelai? To fix everything for me? Why not? I mean you fix my house, you fix my food, why not fix everything else?" Luke ranted. Lorelai was sick of the arguing.

"Stop! Just stop it, Luke. You and I both know that you're not mad at me. You're mad at yourself. You're projecting your anger and frustrations on me. Why? Why are you mad at me when I was the one trying to help you guys?" Lorelai countered.

Luke took a deep breath. He looked her in the eyes and saw that she was doing her best to keep it together herself. A couple deep breaths later, Luke looked at the ground in shame as he realized had he had done, and that coming over just to yell at her wasn't the best thing.

"What did you choose?" Lorelai said. "What did you tell her to do?"

"I broke up with her," he said quietly.

"You what?" Lorelai asked him to repeat it. Not because she didn't hear him, but because she couldn't believe it.

"I broke up with her."

"Why?"

"Because when she asked me to choose for her, she was giving me an ultimatum. It was me or the job. And I didn't want to hold her back either. It... I'm just mad about everything," Luke said. He then looked up at Lorelai. "I shouldn't have come after you."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have," Lorelai said with a little sass, but was relieved that he had apologized.

"I... I know you were just trying to help."

"I was."

"But, why?" Luke asked. Lorelai didn't even know where to begin answering that question.

"For the same reason I picked on you yesterday: because you're my friend, that's what we do. I'm sure if I had a boyfriend, and he came to you asking for advice, then you'd try to help too."

"Would you want me to help?"

"Besides Sokka, you probably know me the best. I'd hope you'd help him out."

"Yeah, I probably would," Luke admitted.

"Good," Lorelai smiled. "I'm sorry about the break up."

"But you were right. She shouldn't risk her job for me."

"Good thing you weren't in love," Lorelai said, nudging him. He shrugged.

"Yeah, good thing," he said. He looked over at the bonfire where Sokka and Cassy were watching with eagle eyes. "I should probably return you before they maul me."

"Yeah, you basically kidnapped me," Lorelai said, rubbing the arm he had pulled.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"Cross my heart," he said, raising his hand to a boy scout solute. "I'll let you go."

"Have a drink with me," Lorelai offered, finally realizing that she was happy that Luke and Maxine had broken up. Then, of course, she felt guilty at the same time.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked, eying Sokka and Cassy who were standing in that same spot, looking at them intently.

"Definitely," Lorelai said with a smile.

"They won't eat me alive?" Luke looked toward Lorelai's watchful guardians.

"Just explain what happened, they'll understand," Lorelai said. Luke looked between their friends and Lorelai before making his decision.

"Eh, I'm not really feeling up to it. I think I'm going to wallow around for a little bit," Luke said.

"Good, wallowing is good for the skin," Lorelai said. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see ya then," he said. Before leaving, he gently touched Lorelai's arm where he had grabbed her before. As he walked away, Lorelai's face grew pinker as a result of both blushing and frustration. She hated Maxine for making Luke decide for her. But she also was relieved that Luke broke up with her for that reason.

"What was that about?" Cassy asked.

"Um, well, Luke broke up with Maxine," Lorelai said. "And it's sort of my fault."

"Why would it be your fault?" Sokka asked. Lorelai explained it all, with the disclaimer that they couldn't spread it around. They also looked out for the gossip trio before going into detail.

* * *

When Luke got home, he walked straight to the fridge and pulled out the six-pack that had been calling his name. He plopped himself on the couch and turned on the sports channel. As the talking heads went over the top plays of the week, he heard Roy come into the house.

"Hey kid, how was your date with Dawn?" Luke called. When he heard nothing but a sniffle behind him, Luke turned around to see what was wrong. There stood Roy, looking smaller than his 5'10" frame. His eyes were red, his nose was runny, and his eyes were watery.

"She broke up with me," he said. Luke's heart pained for his son. Without thinking, Luke got up and hugged him. Luke wasn't a big fan of showing his emotions, but times like that called for it. He guided his son to the couch and they just sat there. After a while, Roy sat up and told Luke about what happened.

"All I did was say 'I love you.' And apparently that freaked her out because she said that she wasn't ready for anything."

"Were you trying to have sex with her?" Luke asked straight-forwardly. "Did she feel pressured?"

"No! I wasn't trying anything! You've taught me better than to force myself on someone, or manipulate their feelings to get what I want," Roy yelled louder than intended. "After talking to you and Lorelai about you not telling Maxine how you fell, I realized that I needed to say it to Dawn. So I said it!"

"What happened next?"

"Dawn kept going on about how she's too young to be in love. But we're 16, it's the time to be in love, you know? I just... I didn't think it'd be this hard."

"Yeah, I know," Luke said. This is exactly what he told Lorelai he was afraid of. He could justify blaming Lorelai again, but that wouldn't do anyone any good. After Roy stopped ranting and crying, Luke broke his news. "Maxine and I broke up today too."

"What?" Roy's tears stopped immediately, and his full focus was on his dad.

"Yeah, I guess someone from the school had seen us together, and the Headmaster told Max that her tenure was in jeopardy because of her unprofessional behavior. And," Luke hesitated. "And I told her that it would be best if we break up."

"But you love her?" Roy was all sorts of confused.

"No, I don't think I was. I really liked her, but her career is important. It's best if it ends now than it get her in more trouble at work."

"I guess that makes sense," Roy said. Luke stood up and walked to the refrigerator. He opened up the freezer and took out the carton of ice cream Lorelai had brought over a while ago. He got two spoons and went back to the couch.

"Wallow time?" Luke asked.

"Wallow time," Roy confirmed.

* * *

 **Awe, the Gilmores are heartbroken. Will they be better in a couple months? I did my best to make Maxine similar to Rachel in the fact that she and Lorelai got along well enough to have decent conversations, unlike Luke and Max.**

 **I know this didn't really follow the OG Firelight storyline of Rachel coming back and staying with Luke, but I can definitely gender swap that plot in a later chapter if you're interested.**

 **And as always, if you have any specific moments you want me to gender swap, or suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review!**


	6. April: Spring Fling the Paint

**"That Damn Donna Reed" was definitely one of the episodes that, the first time I watched it, I really wanted something to happen between Luke and Lorelai. But of course as I look back at it, I understand that if Luke were to have kissed her, they probably wouldn't have stayed together. They both needed to grow and get hurt to understand they needed each other.** **Nevertheless, this was a fun chapter to write, and even more fun is to come.**

* * *

 **April: Spring Fling the Paint**

"Luke, please!" Lorelai begged. "I need you." Lorelai looked at him with pleading eyes. Luke sat on a stool at the cafe, squirming under the gaze of her and others around him.

"Lorelai, you know I can't do this," Luke said in a hushed tone as he looked down at her, hoping he could resist her this time.

"Luke," Lorelai sighed. "You've done this kind of thing before."

"But this is where I draw the line," Luke said, not wanting to get roped into this. "You need to find someone else to help you."

"You always say that, but then you do it anyway," Lorelai pointed out, hoping she could convince him. She used her puppy-dog eyes, a tactic he had fallen weak to before.

"Lorelai, it's not going to happen."

"Please Luke? I'll make it worth your while," Lorelai flirted. Luke was just about to break, but he held strong.

"I'm not going to help you paint," Luke said. Lorelai let out a dramatic groan as she grabbed an order from Cassy.

"Oh come on! I need an unbiased third party to help me pick out colors at least," Lorelai said. She had been begging Luke to help her paint the cafe, but he wasn't budging.

"I'm not unbiased," Luke rolled his eyes. "I eat here every day, I have a usual for Pete's sake. Besides, I like things the way they are."

"It can be my birthday present. We can look at paint, eat pizza, drink some beer, it'll be fun," Lorelai pressed.

"Do you know how much crap is in pizza? It's carbs on top of sugar on top of artificial death on top of carbs," Luke complained. That week was stressful enough. He didn't need Lorelai asking him for favors and distracting him.

"Well just beer then. Either way, I need an assistant and I pick you," Lorelai said. "And I won't even make you wear the Vanna White dress." Lorelai set the plates down in front of Andrew and Gypsy at table 3. When she returned to Luke at the counter, his face was red and ready for a rant.

"I don't understand why you need to paint the place anyway. I mean, the yellow walls are nice, I like them. So what if you have pink or purple or white walls? It doesn't change the quality of the food. And that's why people are coming here in the first place? Will your usual customers, who eat here every damn day, stop eating here because they don't like the color of the walls?" Luke ranted. "You know what I'd rather do than paint walls? Anything. I'd rather read Roy's entire library, or clean the kitchen, or make beds at the inn, I'd rather do all of that before I help you paint." Lorelai had no idea why he was getting so upset about this. She tried to not take that last comment personally. _I'm sure he meant 'you' as a general 'you,' not me specifically._

"You must really like the wall color," Lorelai said. She almost wasn't surprised that Luke wouldn't help out. Since the split from Maxine, he had been some-what distant from the town stuff in general, but specifically distant from Lorelai. Normally, he'd rant about his day, the inn, his parents, etc. But lately, that wasn't happening as much. They'd exchange pleasantries, order/serve the food, then he'd be off until the next meal.

"Sure," Luke grunted, not really caring about the paint at all.

"Sorry, I just thought a little spruce might be nice, a little spring cleaning touch-up, you know?"

"Go for it, I'm just not the guy to help," Luke mumbled.

"Yeah well," Lorelai shrugged. "I'll be fine on my own. Thanks anyway, I guess," Lorelai grumbled, then went back to the kitchen. When Cassy emerged instead of Lorelai, Luke knew something was wrong. But as he does, he was too proud to apologize, especially with all of the people in there.

* * *

That night after closing, Lorelai made herself a pot of coffee before looking at the fan decks of paint colors. She hadn't repainted the place in almost three years to the day, right after Chris left the last time. Lorelai was on her third coffee of the night as she thought about the different colors she had painted the café. Originally, the hardware store was painted light grey. After Lorelai inherited the building, Chris thought a soft teal color would be best for the new café. Then after he left three years ago, Lorelai painted it a light yellow color. Lorelai looked around the café, thinking about what colors would go well in the space.

A loud bang on her door made Lorelai jump and almost spill her coffee. She turned around and saw Luke at the door holding a box of pizza and a six-pack of beer. Lorelai beamed as she walked over to open the door.

"I'm sorry," Luke said from the stoop. "I don't know what got into me earlier. I've been having a bad week, well, a bad couple months really. I didn't mean to take it out on you. Pizza? Beer?" He held the peace offering out to his friend. Lorelai looked at her friend, trying to keep a stern look on her face. But she wasn't the only one with puppy-dog eyes. She thought Luke looked adorable and realized that he truly did feel bad.

"Well I wasn't in a forgiving mood, but now that I have pizza, all is right in the world," Lorelai smiled and grabbed the box. "Let's get to work." Lorelai walked to the counter and Luke followed through the open door. The pizza, half-meat lovers and half-veggie, was being devoured as the pair looked at the colors and planned the process.

"What about this pink?" Lorelai asked, pointing to a bright pink color she pinned next to the door.

"And make your customers feel like they're in a bottle of Pepto? No thanks," Luke honestly was admirable.

"Now, this is another way to go. Sort of a French bistro kind of look," Lorelai held up a navy and a peach color.

"This isn't a French bistro," Luke said.

"Really? Huh. If only I had learned to bake all of my pastries in France," Lorelai said sarcastically. "It's amazing the things you learn when you bother to listen."

"Which you usually don't," Luke pointed out.

"I listen more than you think," Lorelai said with a smirk before turning back to the paint. "Now, we could do more warm, golden Tuscan countryside..."

"If we're not in France, we're definitely not in Tuscany."

"We could also go with a pastel-y English country garden theme. Oh, maybe we could add a little stenciling on the ceiling."

"That seems excessive," Luke complained.

"Excuse me, do you even know what stenciling is?"

"Does Martha Stewart do it?"

"Yes."

"No stenciling," Luke said firmly. "Unless you want to do it yourself, it's not going to happen." As he spoke, Taylor and Kirk entered the cafe, disturbing the quiet atmosphere.

"Guys I'm closed," Lorelai told them. "Everything is shut down."

"Ask him," Taylor instructed Kirk as he motioned to Luke and at the same time ignoring Lorelai.

"I will. Luke?" Kirk addressed, his chest puffed out to make himself look more intimidating. Luke wasn't buying it.

"What do you want, Kirk?" Luke asked, wishing this whole thing wasn't getting so much attention.

"Taylor here tells me that you're helping Lorelai paint this place," Kirk said bravely.

"That's right, he is," Lorelai said with a big smile.

"Ha!" Taylor wagged his finger at Kirk.

"Excuse me, I'd like to hear it from him. Luke, is it true?" Kirk gave him a look.

"Yes, Kirk, it's true," Luke said reluctantly.

"Really? That's your final decision?" Kirk asked, and Lorelai listened intently for Luke's response.

"I'm afraid it is," he said gruffly. Lorelai smirked.

"Because it's not too late to change your mind," Kirk said.

"Nope, you heard him! He's painting, pay up," Taylor instructed. Kirk pulled a couple bills from his wallet and handed it to Taylor.

"What the hell? You bet on me? Why?" Luke's annoyance was at an entirely new level. _This town was relentless_ , he thought.

"Because you never participate in anything town related. And if you do, you give the absolute bare minimum. But now, by helping a business owner do a beautification project, you are officially _participating_ ," Taylor grinned.

"I had your back," Kirk interjected. "I said that there was no way you'd paint. Not because of you, Lorelai," Kirk addressed nicely. "But because of the principal of the thing."

"Sometimes the principal of the thing isn't important. Sorry to disappoint, man," Luke rolled his eyes. Luke thought momentarily what was most important, and he realized that he wanted to make Lorelai feel better, and that's why he was doing it. Because he was her friend, and that's what friends do.

"It's a little too late for that, don't you think?" Kirk said, then stormed out of the restaurant. Taylor followed Kirk out, stopping to look at the paint samples by the door.

"Ooh, I like this," Taylor said about the Pepto-Bismol color before exiting. Luke huffed and opened another beer.

"Those guys never let up," Luke grumbled.

"Nope, but that's what you get," Lorelai said.

"Get? For what?"

"For not _participating_ ," Lorelai imitated Taylor. "Obviously, you have to dedicate your life to the town. If you don't, then you don't care. Then, you're a burden to everyone, and you'll eventually be run out of town," Lorelai said sarcastically. "So you better join the re-enactors, get on Taylor's good side."

"Not going to happen," Luke said.

"Didn't think so," Lorelai laughed. "You ready to talk paint again?"

"No," Luke said as he rubbed his temples.

"Good. So I've got all the choices set up and while any of them would work, I think these combos are currently my favorites," Lorelai said, pointing to a orange and yellow pair, and then a light blue and brown set of colors.

"Huh," Luke said, actually liking the blue color.

"See? Imagine. This will be for the walls and this will be for the trim, you know the edging around the doors and the windows," Lorelai explained.

"I know what the trim is."

"So these colors," Lorelai pointed to the orange and yellow, "are actually quite similar to what we have now, but they're just a little richer, a little warmer. And the blue and brown are sort of a calmer, homey feel," Lorelai pointed to the other swatches. "What do you think?" Lorelai asked.

"Well..." Luke dragged on.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lorelai ran over to dim the lights. "A little ambiance."

"This is a café, you don't have ambiance."

"Oh I beg to differ, sir. You come in here, order a coffee-"

"I don't drink coffee," Luke interrupted.

"Okay, a _customer_ comes in, orders a coffee, sits by the window, and enjoys a quiet morning by people watching," Lorelai mused. "It's nice, it's calm, it's peaceful. It's romantic."

"Fine, I guess you have ambiance," Luke admitted.

"So, colors? Sunset orangey or the soft blue."

"Honestly?"

"Obviously."

"I like the blue one. It's very..." Luke hesitated. "You."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you were blue a lot. And your eyes are blue, maybe that could be you theme," Luke said. Lorelai blushed slightly at the comment about her eyes.

"I'll have blueberry specials," Lorelai thought out loud. "Blueberry pancakes, Danishes, lattes, lot's of possibilities."

"So, you like it?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I do," Lorelai said.

"Okay then," Luke nodded, pleased he could _participate._

"Good," Lorelai said as a still moment occurred. She smiled up at him and he looked down at her. At that moment, Andrew burst in with a camera and started taking pictures of Luke and Lorelai, who backed away from each other.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, um, the town council wanted before and after pictures."

"Really?" Lorelai questioned.

"Um..." Andrew broke under Lorelai's gaze.

"Don't lie to me," she warned.

"Okay, Taylor wanted a picture of Luke helping out. He was going to put up a booth at the spring fling, with Luke as the 'Most Improved Citizen.'"

"Out!" Luke yelled, practically chasing Andrew out of the restaurant. Andrew took one last picture as he called out,

"Bye Lorelai!" Luke slammed and locked the door behind him. He took a deep breath as Lorelai giggled at the scene that played out in front of her. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you move that fast before," Lorelai smirked. "You aren't the most athletic person."

"Yeah, well, I was motivated," Luke said with a straight face. He looked around the room. "You know, since you have to take everything off the walls, maybe you could decide what stuff you're going to keep and what stuff you're to get rid of."

"Everything stays," Lorelai said.

"OK, there's a plastic dancing pork chop that says, 'I lost my head over a good chop. You should too.'"

"Everything stays," she said firmly.

"Ok. Everything stays," Luke surrendered, not wanting to push.

"You know, this _stuff_ hasn't been moved since my dad was alive," Lorelai said. She felt comfortable talking about her dad with Luke, even though the opportunity never really came up before.

"No, I didn't know that," Luke said. Lorelai never talked about her parents. She never really talked about her past at all. She wasn't an overly private person,

"He always had this junk up front, I always thought he should have cleaned it up. But once he died and I sold most of the items to other stores and people around town, this was left. I organized the things a bit, but I kept them on the shelves, just like Dad did."

"Well those shelves got their use," Luke said.

"Yeah, he really loved this place, you know. This store was his life. Mine too, I guess," Lorelai smiled. "I spent every minute I wasn't at practice or school here. I spent a lot of minutes I was supposed to be in school in here too."

"How come you opened a cafe? Why didn't you keep it a hardware store?"

"I didn't love the hardware business the way my dad did. And I have a business degree and I'm a trained chef, so I just thought a café would be more... practical." Lorelai said. Luke laughed lightly.

"That's a hard word for you to say," Luke said, chuckling. "You're not always one for the sensible route." Lorelai laughed with him.

"Very true, if I wanted to have fun, maybe I'd work at the inn or something as the chef, but then Sokka would be out of a job."

"And why do that when you could own your own place," Luke nodded.

"Exactly, plus I always wanted to work here. Just where Dad did."

"God that's nice. To be so, I don't know, connected to your dad. I would have loved that," Luke said.

"Well you've got that with Roy," Lorelai pointed out.

"Yeah...I guess so," Luke nodded. They were quiet for a beat, neither knowing how to continue the conversation.

"Hey, you know, I still think there's a spot on the wall somewhere where my dad took an order one day when he ran out of paper," Lorelai said out of the blue.

"Really? Where?" Luke's curiosity was peaked. Lorelai swung her legs as she pretended to think.

"I don't know. Behind the counter maybe?" She smirked. Luke maneuvered eagerly to the location.

"Yeah, next to the door," Lorelai said as she got off the stool. "On the right side." Luke found the writing and sat on the floor next to it, Lorelai following suit.

"Here it is. 'Three hammers, Phillips-head screwdrivers, and three boxes of nails in assorted sizes,'" Luke read.

"Every time I paint the place," Lorelai sighed. "I could never cover this up. Actually, I almost did last time on accident."

"How?"

"I was temporarily blinded in an emotional state."

"Emotional state?" Luke asked. Lorelai sighed as she crossed her legs to get comfortable.

"Yeah, um, it was right after my ex left me," Lorelai said tentatively. "He had been a big part of the café, so when it ended badly, the teal walls reminded me too much of him."

"Reminders are fine," Luke said, thinking of the Rachel box he had in his closet, as well as the newly added Maxine box.

"Yeah, I mean before he left, it was a reminder of our past, you know? All the happy times and how much he helped me after my dad died. It was a good reminder. But then, after Chris left... abruptly, three years ago, the teal walls were a reminder of that. So a couple days after he left, I painted it yellow. You can see," Lorelai pointed to the top corner of the message. "I actually painted over this, but I was able to wipe it off quick enough to save it."

"So you preserve everything that reminds you of your dad," Luke concluded aloud.

"Yeah, I guess," Lorelai paused for a moment. "Maybe I _should_ take some of the stuff down."

"What changed your mind?"

"I don't know, I mean it's probably not healthy, just staring at my dad's old crap all day. The mourning process should be done by know, you know?"

"Yeah, well nothing you do is healthy so..." Luke said, which earned him a elbow to the side from Lorelai. They laughed there on the floor, all tension broken and the atmosphere lightened.

"It's time for a little sprucing, decluttering," Lorelai admitted.

"Yeah, it is," Luke agreed, but pointed at her dad's handwriting. "But let's not spruce this particular spot."

"That sounds good," Lorelai smiled and their eyes met.

"Okay," Luke returned the smile. There was a brief moment, or so Lorelai thought, where they seemed to move closer together. But before anything could happen, they heard someone try and open the door to the café.

"Oh for Pete's sake," Luke groaned. He was about to get up, but Lorelai pulled on his arm back down.

"No, no, don't get up," she said.

"If I don't get up, they won't leave," Luke explained. Lorelai smiled and shook her head.

"They'll go away, trust me. Just, shh," she put her index finger to her lips. They rose to rest on their hands and knees, then peered around the corner of the front counter and saw Taylor, Kirk, Patty, and several others trying to get a better look.

"They should be in here, Andrew got pictures," they heard Taylor say. After they rattle the door a bit more with some grumbling, the crowd soon dispersed.

"Thank you," Luke said. Lorelai didn't realize how close they actually were, even closer than they were on the floor.

"No, thank you," Lorelai said. "Um, for helping. I know you'd rather be reading or cleaning or making beds than helping _me._ " Lorelai put emphasis on the last word.

"Oh, I didn't mean that," Luke said earnestly. "I just meant-"

"I know," Lorelai cut him off. "But still, thanks."

"You're welcome," he said in a soft voice. Lorelai knew she felt a moment of attraction between them, while Luke felt something, but he didn't know what it was exactly. In fear of it going too far without analyzing the situation with Roy, Luke shifted away from her. "I should go," he said. He had pro-con lists to write.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Lorelai said. They stood up and brushed themselves off.

"When do you want to paint?" Luke asked. "You don't want the stuff sitting around. I don't know if paint goes bad, but judging by the smell of it when it's fresh, rotten paint would be really gross." Lorelai gave a half laugh, still trying to compose herself.

"Well, I'll order the paint in the morning, so Stanley will probably have it ready by Friday. How about Saturday?"

"But that's when the Spring Fling is," Luke said, thinking of her plans.

"What, you wanna go this year? Got plans?"

"No, but I know you like that crap," Luke said with a smirk. "So I figured you had plans."

"Well I can go afterwards. Painting shouldn't take all day," Lorelai shrugged. "And maybe you'll want to join me?"

"Please, don't you think I have better things to do on a Saturday night than go to the 3rd dumbest gathering in town?"

"Like reading or cleaning or making beds?" Lorelai smirked.

"Yeah," Luke rubbed the back of his head. He was hesitant to go for the sole reason of not knowing with this feeling was.

"Come on, it'll be fun. We'll eat some good food, drink the crappy punch, then we can watch the fireworks," Lorelai suggested.

"Fireworks? It's the middle of April, why are there fireworks?"

"See, this is why you need to go to the town meetings," Lorelai wagged her finger to scold him. "It was Taylor's New Year's resolution. He wants fireworks at every event this year."

"They didn't have any at the Firelight Festival," Luke pointed. It was the first time they had talked about that night since it happened.

"They did, actually," Lorelai said delicately. "They went off after you... left."

"Oh, I guess I was distracted," Luke said, then quickly elaborated. "Because of Roy. That's the same night he and Dawn broke up."

"I remember," Lorelai said. "Didn't they just get back together?" Lorelai had just seen them being all cute at the bus stop.

"Yeah, Dawn made a rather large public display of affection at Chilton a week ago. She told him she loved him too and they've been inseparable ever since."

"That's great," Lorelai said, happy they were able to talk about the night without fighting. There was a pause where neither knew how to proceed. "Ah, so. This is going to be great too," Lorelai beamed.

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Luke rolled his eyes to Lorelai's smile. "I better..."

"Yeah, totally, um, see ya," she said.

"See ya," he gave a half-wave as he walked away. They both spent the night processing the moments that occurred in the café that night.

* * *

"So, you're sure we need this many cans?" Luke asked that Saturday afternoon. Lorelai had closed after the lunch rush to prepare. That's when Luke came over with his truck, the back of which was filled with paint cans and supplies. He was carrying in the last of the cans, Lorelai wishing she could see his muscles under the long sleeves.

"Oh, yeah, you need enough for two coats and touch-ups and little spots," Lorelai went on. Luke gave her a look and she laughed. "No, I'm not sure. I think we have the same about of paint that I've used in the past."

"Well we got the paint and the brushes and the tarps and all the other stuff the paint guy said we'd need, so I guess we're ready," Luke said.

"Let's get started than," Lorelai said with a big smile. "First, do you have a change of clothes?"

"Why?" Luke asked, looking down to his blue sweater.

"Because you'll get paint on this," Lorelai tugged on his sleeve. "And this kind of fabric won't wash out very well." _Plus maybe I can get a rare glance at your arms._

"Well then I won't get paint on it," Luke said defiantly. Lorelai laughed at the man.

"Have you never painted before?"

"Not really," Luke admitted. Sure he had supervised when painters came to the inn, but he never partook.

"Foolish man. Hold on," Lorelai said.

She ran upstairs and dug through her dad's dresser. That's where she kept all of her old clothes, as well as clothes she had collected from others throughout the years. As she dug through the disorganized drawer, Lorelai picked up a familiar black shirt. It was Christopher's ratty, old Slayer t-shirt. When they were juniors in high school, Chris and Lorelai got fake IDs to get into the Slayer concert in Philadelphia. They drove 5 hours for the three hours concert, then drove back at midnight so they could get to school that morning. Lorelai and Christopher were tired and exhausted, but it was one of the best nights of Lorelai's adolescence.

Lorelai looked it over, remembering how she used to always wear it to bed. She even took it abroad. Like the old teal walls, she hadn't seen that shirt in years, as she had thrown it in the drawer as soon as he left. Lorelai figured that Luke could wear it, then throw out if paint ruined it. Sort of a poetic ending. First the paint, and now the shirt. Lorelai also grabbed an old t-shirt of her own and changed into that.

"Here," she tossed the Slayer shirt to Luke.

"What's this?"

"In western society, we call them shirts," Lorelai said obviously.

"You like Slayer?" Luke was surprised. He used to listen to the band all the time, less when Roy was in the picture.

"Yeah, I've been to a couple concerts," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"That's surprising," Luke said. "You don't seem like a heavy-metal type of person."

"Yeah, well," Lorelai brushed it off. "Now, put the shirt on, I'm going to check my car to make sure we got everything." Luke didn't think to point out the fact that the shirt was a men's size medium. When Lorelai returned from the Jeep, Luke was wearing the band's shirt, which was just a tad too small.

"Alright, let's get started," Lorelai clapped her hands. They worked and talked and Lorelai tried singing painting songs, but Luke wasn't having it. Mostly they walked about Roy and Luke's parents, just as they used to. Lorelai asked about William's health and And Luke described` how Margret was being especially trying lately.

* * *

They finished painting around 6 o'clock. Lorelai was washing brushes off in the sink behind the front counter and Luke was moving everything onto the tarp on the ground for an easy clean-up.

"See, that was almost fun," Lorelai beamed. Luke was squatting on the floor, picking up the empty paint cans. He stood up and stretched.

"Yeah, almost," he said. He turned and took a step back, consequently knocking into the ladder they used to do the trim. The paint tray that had been resting on it fell right on Luke's shoulder, paint covering his entire torso. Lorelai was in shock before laughing her ass off. It took a good minute for her to calm down enough to get him a towel.

"Good thing I gave you that shirt to wear. That sweater of yours would have been totally ruined," Lorelai said as she placed the towel in Luke's hand. He huffed as he wiped the paint off his arm and onto the tarp.

"Yeah, good call on that," Luke complimented with an eye roll.

"I think you got more paint on yourself than you did the walls," Lorelai joked. Luke glared at her and almost without thinking, wound up his arm and took aim at Lorelai. She held out her arm, not for protection, but to give a warning.

"Oh sir, I am the pitcher on my softball team. In high school, we were state champs three years in a row. I've been preparing for this moment for decades. You do not want to start this," Lorelai said. Luke smirked then flung the paint drenched towel at her. In slow motion, Lorelai watched as the wave of paint and cloth flew at her. It landed right on her face and covered her chest. Lorelai peeled the towel from her body and Luke was surprised by the smile on her face. She quickly retaliated by dunking the towel in the paint can on the counter, then throwing it back at Luke. It hit him square in the skull on his shirt. Before it could go further, Luke held up his hands in surrender.

"Let's stop before we ruin all the work we just put into this place," he said. Lorelai held her arms up in agreement, and Luke dropped the towel. They shared a laugh as Lorelai walked over to the sink to wash her hands and get a new towel for Luke. He got most of the paint off this time, missing a bit on his face.

"Here," Lorelai giggled as she moved closer to wipe it off. Luke stood perfectly still as Lorelai, whose lips were inches from his, grabbed his head with one hand and with the other she wiped her thumb against his forehead. "You're going to have to shower to get all of this," she said, taking a step back from him.

"Yeah, probably," he chuckled nervously. A loud noise came from outside, Luke thinking that Kirk had set off one of the fireworks early. "People go crazy over these events."

"That's one of my favorite things about this town," Lorelai smiled. "I love the community, the connection, the food, the punch, the dancing," Lorelai listed before stopping herself. "You've lived here for 15 years, you need to embrace the crazy."

"That's just what they want me to do," Luke said about the townspeople.

"Come on, you know you want to," Lorelai poked. _I know I want to,_ she thought.

"Want to go over there? No thanks," Luke rejected. "Wandering around, drinking overloaded punch, standing by myself, watching the fireworks alone, not my thing."

"Alone? Am I invisible or something?"

"What? No," Luke said.

"Well you wouldn't be alone," Lorelai said softly. "I'd be with you."

"You'd be with me?" Luke asked.

"If you want. I'll buy the first cup of punch," Lorelai offered. In her head, she was begging him to say yes. It would still be nice to spend some time with Luke outside the café, and without Roy.

"I'm going to go home," he started slowly, watching Lorelai's face falter a bit. "Shower, change into some not paint-y clothes, then I'll meet you back here? Or do you want to meet in the square?" Lorelai's face brightened.

"We can meet at the gazebo if you want," Lorelai said. "Get some food, some punch, then walk to the lake for the fireworks."

"That sounds good," Luke said. "I'll see you in about an hour?"

"See ya then," Lorelai said, then he left. Lorelai almost squealed with glee as she ran upstairs to get ready.

* * *

Luke showered and decided to wear the same sweater he had on earlier. As he did so, he thought about what the rest of the night would bring. There was something about going to the Spring Fling with Lorelai that made him feel uneasy; He never thought he'd be in that situation. His relationship with Maxine was still fresh on his mind. Thinking about it, he and Max had never fought or argued until the ultimatum. They could have deep conversations and the sex was great. But now all of that was over, and Luke almost felt guilty for spending the night with Lorelai instead of wallowing a bit about Maxine. But thinking about it more, it had been a couple months, and the wallowing needed to stop. Maybe all the gossip was true, and something with Lorelai could finally happen.

Lorelai wanted it to be a date. She wanted that more than anything. But, she had to keep her head out of the clouds. He was _Luke_ , her best friend. He was always there for her, he stood up for her, but she never read any sort of romantic feelings from him. Lorelai wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, even if they weren't together.

Palms sweaty and heart racing, more from anxiety than nerves itself, Luke walked from his house. He never got nervous before a date, and this wasn't a date. He definitely never got nervous before seeing Lorelai, and he didn't know why being with Lorelai was different that night than any other night. But it was. He rounded the corner and the gazebo was in sight. He walked toward it, noticing a beautiful woman standing at the railing.

Her jeans fit her curves perfectly and her long brown hair blew slightly in the breeze. It wasn't until the wind blew it away from her face that Luke realized it was Lorelai. He had just checked out Lorelai, something he had done in the past, but nothing like that. Now, all bets were off.

"Hey," Luke said from behind Lorelai. She almost jumped, not seeing or hearing him coming from behind her.

"Hey there," Lorelai said. She turned, reveling two cups of punch, one half empty. "I have your punch, sorry, I already started on mine. Oh! I figured that, since we didn't eat supper, you'd be hungry. So I packed you a sandwich."

"Wow, Lorelai, thank you," Luke said, feeling bad he didn't bring anything for her. Lorelai sat on the bench, pulled out a sandwich from a small cooler at her feet and gave it to Luke. They sat on the bench.

"You see, I saved this sweater," Lorelai said, tugging lightly on the sleeve of his sweater. "You know, I gotta say, I rarely see you in anything besides suits or t-shirts, I'm glad the middle ground looks good."

"I could say the same about you," Luke said, unwrapping the sandwich and giving half of it to her. "Your hair looks good."

"Yeah, you've said that before," Lorelai smiled at the memory of him sticking up for her to Rachel. Then she laughed. "I'd compliment your hair, but it's looking a little blue."

"What?" Luke was confused. Lorelai placed her thumb on Luke's cheek, where his sideburn met the scruff he had been growing out. She massaged the paint out of his hair. She caught a few flakes to show Luke.

"Awe man, I thought I got all of it. Is it gone?" Luke asked, uncharacteristically self-conscious. Lorelai just smiled and put her hand back on his face, using that time to memorize the feel of his skin on hers. He tried to sit still as her pinky lightly tickled his earlobe.

"It's all out now," Lorelai said, her hand still on his face. She realized and moved it away.

"Thanks," Luke said.

"So did you buy raffle tickets?" Lorelai asked, scooting over and making room to cross her legs.

"Why would I do that?" Luke took a bite of the sandwich. It was a classic turkey and cheese, but the signature touch it had Lorelai's special pesto mayo on it.

"Because if you buy tickets, sometimes you win stuff," Lorelai said with humorous condescension.

"I doubt I'd be interested in any of the prizes," Luke scoffed.

"Well, they have fruit baskets, soap bundles, and Doose's gift cards donated by the market. Then the book store donated a bunch of books as well as some book marks, and even a bookshelf Andrew doesn't need anymore. Barb and Todd's Bait and Tackle shop donated a brand new fishing pole and tackle box. Franks Fotos gave a camera and the big winner gets a photo booth for one even in the next year. What else..." Lorelai had been studying the prize table while she waited for Luke.

"I mean the camera would be cool," Luke said.

"Bootsy is even donating a year-long magazine subscription," Lorelai rolled her eyes. She and Bootsy had history. In elementary school, he tried to kiss her, and Lorelai punched him right in the nose. Blood everywhere, it was great. "That loser seems to be evolving."

"Well good for him."

"And humanity," Lorelai said. "I think I'm going to put my tickets in for one of the green-house's gardening bundles."

"You don't garden. Plus I think Jackson might give you a run for your money."

"True, but it's something I do every year."

"Since when?"

"What?"

"When did you start doing it? What caused the beginning of this tradition?" Luke asked, not knowing he'd learn more about her past than he thought.

"So when I was little, I think six or seven, my mom really wanted one of the garden bundles. It had everything: the seed spreader, soil, new shovels and hand hoes, dozens of different seeds, for flowers as well as fruits and veggies, but the main thing she wanted was the pair of adorable yellow gardening gloves."

"Your mom was into gardening," Luke deduced.

"Completely. And that weekend was the first time she missed the Spring Fling in 10 years."

"Why'd she miss it?" Luke asked, earning a deep breath from his friend.

"My mom was sick. We thought it was pneumonia, but it became more serious than that later," Lorelai pursed her lips before smiling as she continued, "Okay, so my mom was sick and didn't feel well enough to attend. My dad said he needed to stay late at the store that night, and that he'll bring food home from the festival for a late dinner. I stayed home with mom and a little after 9 o'clock, my dad called from the front door to help him out. When I went over to him, he was carrying the biggest seeder offered, with all of the garden stuff in it. And to complete it, on top were the yellow gloves."

"I can't even imagine," Luke smiled at her. He loved how bright Lorelai looked as she told the story. Her smile, her hand gesture, and her eyes, damn. Everything about Lorelai was happy almost all the time, but this was next level stuff.

"I'll never forget how proud he was of himself for getting that for her. And Mom, man she was so happy."

"I would be too. That's really sweet, actually," Luke agreed. Lorelai beamed at the happy memory. She had never told anyone about that before. She didn't like talking about her mom that much, but this memory was too good not to share. And Lorelai was happy she chose Luke to share it with.

"After he gave that stuff to her, my mom's health improved so much. The doctors said that it was likely she should have passed away that summer, but we think that the flowers she was able to plant helped. She lived long enough to see the annual flowers again the following summer."

"And since then you put tickets into the raffle?"

"Yeah, my dad and I won it a couple times after that, and we planted the seeds and everything just like she did. But in the past 10 years, I haven't won it once. But that hasn't stopped me from buying tickets."

"You see, I don't mind traditions like that," Luke said.

"Yeah, not all of these festivals are bad. You just have to attend them to make memories like that," Lorelai nudged him.

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to _participate_ more," he agreed, smiling at her.

"Well, then start today! Buy a few raffle tickets, and put them in for the camera you were interested it," Lorelai suggested. Luke nodded and they finished their food and walked over to the booths.

"Five tickets please," Luke said to Kirk.

"That'll be $25," Kirk said as he ripped the tickets from the roll, then had Luke write his name and phone number on the tickets. Luke didn't argue the price and handed over the cash. Lorelai bought 10 tickets then led Luke to the prize buckets. Lorelai put all 10 of her tickets in for the garden supplies. Luke looked around at his options. He ended up putting two tickets into the camera, two for bookcase, and one for the garden package. When Lorelai saw him drop a ticket into that bucket, she smiled silently to herself, acting as if she didn't see it.

The two sat and talked for a while. Lorelai told Luke more stories about her mom, all happy.

"She would have liked you," Lorelai mentioned.

"Yeah? Why's that?" Luke asked. "I'm not that likeable, ask anyone." He was mostly joking.

"Because even though you're _unlikable,_ you have a heart of gold," Lorelai said.

"A heart of gold?"

"Yeah, it takes a special kind of person to raise a child at 16. It takes a good person to help the elementary school organize a bake sale," Lorelai remembered from when Roy was in 5th grade. "And it takes a special kind of person to listen to a friend ramble about her family for almost two hours."

"Has it really been two hours?" Luke asked as he looked at his watch. The run was almost set, the sky darkened, and the air chilly.

"Yeah, it has. My mom would have appreciated that you helped with the painting too," Lorelai said. Before Luke could bashfully respond, Taylor announced that the fireworks would be starting soon.

"Do you wanna head to the lake?" Lorelai asked, the soft and vulnerable moment gone with the breeze.

"Sure, we can get some salty nuts and lemonade on our way," Lorelai said, earning an eye roll from Luke.

* * *

The walk to the lake was filled of talk about which was worse: Patty's pungent punch or Babette's sugary lemonade.

"So if you were dying, and the last thing you could consume was either the punch or the lemonade, you wouldn't drink either?"

"Nope, I don't want to go out suffering, especially from something preventable," Luke denied, taking a sip of the beer KC was selling.

"Oh come on! The punch would numb you and get you a buzz to die on," Lorelai said, taking a big gulp of her lemonade.

"You can enjoy that crap all you want. I'm going to pass," he said with a smirk.

"Hater," Lorelai grumbled into her cup of nuts. They found a quiet spot on the Matz family's old peir. They had built a new one a little ways down the lake, so the old was one open to the public. They sat down, their legs dangling over the water.

"So what are the two worst events in Stars Hollow?" Lorelai asked him as they waited.

"What?"

"Yesterday, you said that the Spring Fling was the 3rd dumbest event. What are the other two?"

"Oh," Luke was taken back, surprised that Lorelai remembered. He had to think for a moment. "Well, the Spring Fling would be 3rd, so the 2nd dumbest would probably be the winter carnival-"

"What?" Lorelai interrupted. "How can you not like the winter carnival?"

"Um, it's cold and snowy and my shoes are soaked afterwards. Plus, who would want to walk around the square playing dumb games all day?"

"Um me?" Lorelai said. "Winder is wonderful. I believe one singer calls it a Winter Wonder _land_."

"Anyway, the worst is the Revolutionary War reenactment."

"What do you have against the reenactment?"

"That's a rant for another day," Luke shook his head. Just then the first official firework went off. "Shh, it's starting." Lorelai rolled her eyes, but remained silent throughout the duration of the display. Something about the cliché aspect of the fireworks, the colors lighting up her face, the cool breeze over the water: all of that combined pushed a thought onto Luke: Lorelai.

* * *

After the fireworks, stopped back at the raffle. Luke won a book bundle that he planned to give to Roy. Unfortunately, Lorelai didn't get a garden bundle. Luke walked Lorelai back to her apartment.

"Admit it, you had fun today," Lorelai nudged him as they walked along the remnants of the festival.

"Yeah, I guess it was better than cleaning," Luke admitted.

"Ha! I knew it! Aw we should have bet something," Lorelai cursed herself jokingly.

"What would you have bet me if you won?"

"You'd have to eat a burger," Lorelai answered quickly. "Not just any burger, the Double Decker Bacon Cheeseburger with a side of garlic onion rings and a chocolate shake."

"You've thought about that before," Luke pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I've been plotting your slow death via clogged arteries for years," Lorelai rubbed her hands together manically.

"I'll have to be careful not to bet anything with you," he said.

"What would you bet?" Lorelai asked.

"If I won..." Luke pondered. "I think I'd have you give me your oatmeal recipe."

"Oh, nope, never going to happen," Lorelai said.

"What's the big deal with that anyway?" Luke asked.

"My mom taught me how to make it when I was little. It was my favorite thing to eat when I was sick," she said. "I don't know if you remember, but when Roy was sick when you first started coming to the café, I made him oatmeal everyday, because that's what I would have wanted to eat."

"Yeah, I remember," Luke smiled. "That's all he would eat for a week straight. I tried making it at home, but he always said it didn't taste as good as yours."

"You see, I gotta keep the secret from ya. That way, if nothing else, you'd need me to make you breakfast," Lorelai smirked.

"Nah, that wouldn't keep us coming over," Luke said, causing Lorelai's smile to twitch. "We'd be coming over regardless." Luke said that so casually, but it made Lorelai's day.

"Well I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'll give it to you for your birthday or something," Lorelai said with a shrug.

"Dirty," Luke whispered loudly.

"Nice catch," Lorelai laughed, wishing it was true. They walked up to her door. "Wanna come in for a beer or something?" Luke was tempted. This whole day was so surreal to him. It started off with a chore that Lorelai somehow made into a fun event. Then the festival changed from feeling like an obligation with a friend to something that resembled a date. It was a lot for Luke to absorb, so he thought it would be best to take some time to think about all that had happened.

"Sorry, I gotta get back," Luke thumbed toward his house. "I don't want any funny business going on at my house."

"Right, right. Well, we should do this again sometime," Lorelai said. Luke didn't even hesitate.

"Definitely," he said with a smile.

"You know, we should do this every festival," Lorelai offered.

"Do what?"

"Well attend them, first off, but go to the fireworks. Whenever Taylor and Kirk set off fireworks, we should watch them together."

"Yeah, I like that plan," Luke said with a surprising smile.

"Awesome," Lorelai's grin reached her eyes.

"I'll see you in the morning," Luke said.

"Definitely," Lorelai repeated. She entered the café then watched as he walked away. She was locking the door when she caught him looking back at her.

"He looked back," she whispered to herself.

* * *

Since then there was a shift in their relationship. For the next couple of months, they hung out more than ever. Not only did Luke see her everyday at the café, but he'd come in after closing and they'd have a beer and just talk. Luke learned more about Lorelai than he ever thought. She even opened up a little about Chris and her parents. But for two months, nothing progressed further than just "hanging out." Both silently wanted to see where it would take it, but were scared to ruin their friendship.

Lorelai had a plan. At the 4th of July fireworks, she was going to make her move. This premeditated attempt kept her in anticipation for months.

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! This chapter will build to something bigger coming in the next chapter. The next time we see our favorite couple will be in May, just in time for the beginning of summer. Will the hot sun and iced tea be served with a side of JavaJunkie?**

 **And as always,** **if you have any specific episodes you want me to gender swap, or suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review!**


	7. June: Fun in the Sun

**And, for the moment you've all been waiting for... an update! It's been a while and I would apologize, but I have a good excuse. I am officially in England! I moved in last week and I've been crazy busy ever since. Now that classes have started, I have an entire morning to type and work on this. So here we are, with another addition to the story. R &R!  
**

* * *

 **June: Fun in the Sun  
**

It was the first weekend of June, and the square was busy as the townspeople set up for the 43rd annual "Fun in the Sun: Summer Festival" that was starting the next day. It was the first event of the summer and Taylor wanted to start the season off with a bang. After an especially frustrating day at work, Luke walked from his house to _Latte Lorelai_. He crossed the square as Kirk was hanging a large sun decoration. Suddenly, the sun crashed down in front of Luke, just missing his head.

"Hey!" Luke yelled. Kirk apologized, and then blamed his overly lotioned hands for the slip. Luke didn't have the energy to deal with Kirk, so he just grumpily walked over to the café. At 10:30pm, the place was closed, but not to him. Luke went to the café after hours several times a week. They both insisted to the gossiping gals that there was no funny business, no hanky-panky, no nothing, just talking. And it was nice. It was honest and pure. And they were building a connection that they hadn't had before, with anyone or each other.

"Hey there, Sunshine," Lorelai greeted Luke after noticing his cranky expression. She wasn't sure he'd be stopping in that night. "May I interest you in a nice, refreshing iced coffee? Perfect for the eve of the first summer festival." Luke rolled his eyes.

"It's after 10:00, I'll have a sleepy-time tea, thanks," Luke said, mounting his usual stool.

"How about something new?" Lorelai proposed. She always tried getting Luke out of his comfort zone.

"Something new? Like what?" Luke asked. Lorelai pulled out a small note pad from her back pocket.

"Alright, so I'm brain storming some new summer specials. I call this one Honey Bee. It's green tea, honey, and almond extract."

"That doesn't sound terrible," Luke admitted. Luke loved the look on Lorelai's face when he agreed to it. Her beaming smile was almost enough to make him forget about his parents.

"So you'll have one?"

"Yes, and a bagel please, if you have any leftover," he added. Lorelai nodded and got his snack ready.

"How was your day?" She asked. "You walked in all frazzle-like. And where's Roy?" Lorelai asked, even though she figured that he was with Dawn, since they had just gotten back together before school ended.

"The inn is completely booked for this stupid festival, I just found out that tomorrow, Roy and Dawn are celebrating their monthly anniversary so I have to have dinner with my parents all alone, and I almost got crushed by a paper-mâché sun, how was your day?"

"Mine looked great in comparison," Lorelai smiled.

"This dumb summer festival gets on my nerves every year. All of these festivals are completely insane. Do you know how many times I've almost been vomited on in the last 5 summers? Too many."

"I get that. It's a crazy festival that was created because there were too many weeks free in between Memorial Weekend and the 4th of July," Lorelai sighed. "And I just got over the hangover from Memorial Day."

"Wait, you don't this festival it either?" Luke asked, pleasantly surprised. Lorelai pulled a stool up behind the counter so she could rest her feet.

"I used to love it, actually," Lorelai said. "It was my favorite! It was a huge event for my family. My dad would oversee the grilling stations, my mom organized the bake sale and cake walk, I would play in the community softball games, and my sister Liz would drink under the gazebo; we all did our part." Lorelai had been smiling as she spoke, but then the smile faltered.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It was… different after my mom died," Lorelai said. They had touched on her parents' deaths a couple of times, but nothing too deep.

"I bet," Luke said sympathetically.

"The summer after Mom was gone, I stepped up and got my family organized, especially for town events. I helped Miss Patty make the desserts. Somehow, I managed to convince Liz to help Miss Patty with the sale. I made sure the store closed on time so my dad got to the grills on time. That first year, I skipped the softball games so I could help out when needed."

"How old were you?"

"That summer I was 9," Lorelai said.

"Man, I can't even imagine the… responsibility you felt," Luke said. "When I was nine, my biggest responsibility was how I would tie my tie before school."

"It was a little difficult at times, but by the second summer, I had Dad and Liz on board," Lorelai laughed. "We had a good routine, until Liz left home. Then I stopped the softball and stuck with the baking, along with the grilling once my dad got sick."

"Why did Liz leave?" Luke had heard the rumors, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"She got pregnant after she graduated high school, then married the baby daddy and moved upstate with him. I was 12 when my niece Jessie was born. She's actually Roy's age," Lorelai pointed out. "I haven't seen her since she was 8, after my dad died."

"What was the festival like after Liz left?"

"It was hard honestl but we stuck with our jobs until his condition caught up with him."

"Condition?"

"He had a liver disease. Not from drinking, he'd have maybe three beers a week. It was a genetic thing. It was supposed to be harmless, but things took a turn for the worse when I started college. His liver wouldn't process anything and he was jaundice by the time he decided to go to the doctor."

"What did the doctor say?"

"That we needed to get his affairs in order, because his organs were failing."

"Oh Lorelai, that must have been awful," he said with the most honest sympathy.

"The worst festival was the last one, the one about a year before he died. Neither of us helped out at all because I needed to take care of him and finalize the papers to close the hardware store. I needed all of that sorted out before I left for France the following winter. But also, I didn't go because as the years went on, my heart just wasn't in it, you know? With my mom and Liz gone, it didn't give me the same feelings."

"And after he passed, what was it like?"

"I thought that the first one would be the hardest thing of my life, because of how involved my family was. My dad died right after I graduated, so when I came back home that May, I had to take care of everything: The house, the store, the investments. So when this festival came around… I don't know. I felt more alone than ever. And to feel more connected, I started volunteering again. I bake for the sale, I make my dad's barbeque sauce for the grills, and I organize the softball games. I do everything so I can feel close to my family who aren't here."

"I feel like there's a "but" coming," Luke tested.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. This is a beautiful festival and I feel bad. I should be enjoying it, but it feels more like a chore than anything."

"Don't feel bad, you aren't obligated to enjoy it. There's no reason for this town to have so many pointless events. What's next, celebrating the creek for providing the pilgrims water?" Luke said, instantly looking around in fear that Taylor would pop out of nowhere.

"You are full of hate and loathing, and I gotta tell you, I love it!" Lorelai said, leaning against the counter.

"Oh, it's so good to have somebody share this hate with," Luke said, leaning a little closer to her. He saw Lorelai's eyes light up and her the corners of her smile pull to a wide grin. He saw something in her eyes not just that day, but every time they spent together. Something that probably had been there for a while, but he just never noticed it. It was a twinkle, a sparkle, or some other… manly synonym for those words.

"My pleasure," Lorelai said, looking into his eyes. Maybe this was finally the time. Their time. After years of waiting for the right moment, this was finally it.

The bell jingled as someone walked into the café, but Luke and Lorelai kept looking at each other.

"We're closed," Lorelai and Luke called out at the same time. This was what Lorelai had both been waiting for years. Finally, they were on the same page, and she was determined not to ruin it.

"It doesn't look closed," the person said from behind Luke. Finally, Lorelai broke eye contact to greet the newcomer. Luke watched as her smile fell into shock. She nervously straightened out, pulling away from him.

"Christopher," Lorelai whispered loud enough for Luke to hear. He had been brought up so much over the last few months, maybe it was like _Beeltejuice_ : Say his name too many times and he appears. Chris hadn't changed at all. He was still the same tall, lanky, handsome man she remembered. He had a few day's growth of scruff on his face, but his smile was undeniable.

"Christopher? _The_ Christopher?" Luke asked, sitting upright. He spun around on the stool to find a guy standing a yard behind him. He was tall blond guy wearing a leather jacket and carrying a ratty army-style bag. "You're Christopher?" Luke asked. The man nodded, ending his intense eye contact with Lorelai.

"Christopher Hayden," he said, sizing up Luke for a moment.

"Chris," Lorelai blurted, causing Luke to look back at her. "Wha—what are you doing here?" Luke had never seen her that nervous before. Luke had seen her make speeches at events, toasts at weddings, and she even scored a main part in the Living Art Festival the previous year, but he never saw her stutter or fidget as much as she did right then. Lorelai was freaking out, trying her best to hide it. "I thought you were in Canada or something?"

"I was in Europe, actually."

"Close enough," Lorelai said nervously.

"France to be exact," Chris clarified. "I visited that little bistro we had gone to every day of your semester abroad," Chris said, slowly moving closer to the counter, suave as ever. "But when I finished up my assignment, I flew back to Chicago. I was walking through O'Hare, and I look up and there's a plane leaving for Hartford in 20 minutes. All of a sudden, I'm on it."

"That's a nice story," Lorelai said, her wit returning to her.

"I should have called," Chris said, not seeming apologetic at all.

"No. It's fine," Lorelai said. Luke watch this exchange, disliking Chris from the get-go. Chris advanced toward her, plopping his bag on the counter, still standing.

"You look good," he said with his slick smile. "I haven't seen your hair down like that in a long time." Lorelai blushed, adjusting her hat.

"Thanks, I've been told that recently," Lorelai glanced at Luke quickly, and for the first time since Chris entered their lives again. "You look good too," Lorelai said. There was a moment of awkward silence so Luke decided to break it.

"Hi, I'm Luke Danes," he introduced.

"Oh yeah, this is Luke," she repeated. Luke held out his hand and Chris shook it.

"Oh," Chris said, looking between Luke and Lorelai. "Boyfriend?" Was all that came out of Chris' mouth. Lorelai looked at Luke, gauging his reaction. She expected a laugh or a joke, because the idea of them being together was admittedly comical, even though she wanted it so much. But no such response as given. Luke's face was straight and almost soft as he answered.

"I'm Lorelai's friend," Luke said simply, not sure if he felt relieved or disappointed by the truth. Chris smiled at the information.

"Yeah. He, works at the Independence Inn," Lorelai added when no one asked.

"I run it, actually," Luke corrected.

"Sorry, he runs it," Lorelai said, giving Luke a contrite look. Luke shrugged it off, understanding that Chris' presence was throwing her off, it was throwing him off too.

"Oh, that's a good place. Is Mia in town? I'd love to catch up with her," Chris asked Luke.

"No, she's on the coast with her nieces," Luke said. He looked at his watch. "And speaking of work, I gotta get up early tomorrow morning. I'll see you tomorrow, Lorelai." Luke set cash on the table before rushing out of there.

"Bye," he heard Lorelai said behind him.

Luke couldn't remember if the temperature that night was humid before, or if the encounter with Lorelai's ex had made him feel that heated. Luke knew why, even though he wanted to deny it. Luke felt a thing between them since the fireworks, two months before Chris came in. Little did Luke know that the small window of opportunity just closed. Not only that, but their late-night convos also stopped all together as soon as Chris moved in.

* * *

The next day, Luke was debating on whether or not he actually wanted to go to the Fun in the Sun festivities or not. On one hand, he had the standing tradition of spending the day with Roy and Lorelai. On the other hand, Luke didn't think that he would see much of Lorelai since Christopher was back.

"Dad, you have to come," Roy said as he and Dawn filled their backpacks with water balloons. Both of the teens were wearing their swimming suits underneath their clothes in preparation for the annual water balloon fight in front of the high school that Roy and his friends started 4 years ago.

"I'll catch up with you guys later, I want to get some house work done first," Luke lied.

"Bullshit," Roy said. "Just because Lorelai's ex is back, you're going to avoid the festival all together?" Luke was about to scold Roy for his tone, but he knew his son was right. They could hear the town's commotion where they stood, taunting Luke to join them. With one more look from his son, Luke put on a light t-shirt and jeans before walking over to join the crazy town.

* * *

By that morning, Lorelai had gotten over her freaked-out phase. She was now moving into the inquisitive-phase of Chris' return. The cafe was open for breakfast, but since Cassy was able to handle it, Lorelai spent her morning setting up for the softball games.

Each game would last an hour. At the 60-minute mark, whichever team had the most points won. First off from 9:00 to 10:00 was the elementary school summer school league, with two games playing on both fields at the same time. Then at 10:30-11:30 was the middle school and high school games, each using one field. Finally at noon, the two adult teams would play.

Lorelai walked to the field, pushing a cart of equipment while she was deep in thought. She wasn't avoiding Chris on purpose, but she needed space to think. Think mostly about how she had just slept with him the night before.

Having sex with Chris was like riding a bike, slipping into her favorite pair of jeans, and wearing a hat that was perfectly broken in, all at the same time. Lorelai and Chris had been in this yo-yo of a relationship for roughly 10 years. Sure, she had seen and been with other guys in between Chris' visits, but she always had a special place in her heart for him. Historically, she'd drop everything and be with him.

The sex was great, as usual, but something was off. Lorelai was trying to figure out what was different. She didn't know if it was because she and Luke had that moment after the fireworks and their nights spent at the café, or if that they were both single for the first time in a while. Was Lorelai going to get back together with Chris? Or finally make the move with Luke?

Lorelai set up and pondered for several hours. Soon enough it was 8:00, and the teams of children started to arrive on the diamond. Softball always helped to clear her head, so hopefully the game would push Lorelai to the best decision.

* * *

After eating a late breakfast at Lorelai's—Lorelai herself being absent, Luke made his way over to the high school's softball field. Watching Lorelai pitch was part of their festival tradition, and he knew he'd feel bad for missing it, so Luke decided to go. He checked his watch when he got there and saw that it was almost noon. Luke bought a beer and a fruit salad bowl from the concession stand, then walked over to the bleachers.

From his seat, he had a perfect view of the mound where Lorelai was warming up her pitching arm. Luke found himself noticing her more than usual. He noticed her short athletic shorts, her tank-top, and of course, a baseball cap. Her hair was up for the first time in a while, the ponytail pulled through the back of the cap. Luke had to look closely, but she was still wearing the necklace he got her for Christmas. She never took it off, and he loved seeing her wear it.

Lorelai saw Luke walk in alone, probably meeting Roy there after the kids get done at the water balloon battle. She saw Luke looking at her, so she waved. He gave her a small smile and a wave back. She went back to pitching before she noticed that Chris was behind the dugout, photographing her every move. She waved to him too as the game started.

Lorelai's team won 6-1, mostly because she struck out almost every person at bat. Luke met up with her on the other side of the dugout fence. Roy never showed, which meant there was a good chance that he and Dawn were making out by the lake, water balloons abandoned.

"Good game," Luke said. Lorelai took her cap off, wiping sweat from her forehead. She suddenly felt self-conscious about looking gross, not knowing that Luke didn't care. "You pitched good."

"Thanks, it's gets harder when it's this hot," she said. She flashed Luke a large smile and was about to make her typical innuendo comment, but Chris beat her to it.

"Dirty," he said over Lorelai's shoulder, startling her.

"Oh, hey Chris," Lorelai said, hoping that a label reading "we had sex" wasn't stamped on her forehead for Luke to see. They made some small talk before Lorelai decided to go back to her apartment before the rest of the activities started.

"Well I've gotta get cleaned up before the pie eating contest," Lorelai said. "Luke, I'll meet up with you later? After dinner with your parents?" She asked her friend. Luke nodded, hoping he would be in a decent mood after his solo-meal with Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore. Lorelai and Chris walked away, but weren't out of ear shot completely.

"You played really well," Chris said.

"Thanks, my arm felt good today. But now I'm all sweaty and I stink, so I've gotta shower A-Sap."

"Well I can help you with that," Chris said, causing Luke to raise his eyebrows. Lorelai didn't disagree or oppose the idea. She just hip checked him and laughed. Chris put his arm around Lorelai as they walked away, leaving Luke by himself.

* * *

Lorelai was sitting on the bench in the gazebo while Chris roamed the party, taking pictures of everything and everyone. She looked around for Luke, but he was nowhere to be seen. Lorelai had spent the last 3 years convincing him to spend the day with her, but now with Chris, that might have changed. Eventually Chris made his way over to the bench.

"Did you get some good pictures?" She asked Chris as he sat down. He fiddled with the camera a bit, readjusting the lens.

"Oh yeah, yeah, the summer air really changes people. Ya know, makes them seem happier, freer, all troubles of the world completely gone. Plus, the bonfire is sexy," he said in a saucy voice as he took a picture of Lorelai. She blushed and swatted her hand at him.

"I don't think that's the fire, I think it's the Founders' Day Party Punch they've been selling."

"Oh yeah, that stuff is good," Chris said, look around to find the stand.

"Okay, at some point, are you going to tell me why you're here?" Lorelai asked. They didn't do a lot of talking the night before.

"Well right now, I'm putting more film in my camera," Chris said with that slick smile she loved _and_ sometimes hated.

"Chris, you know what I mean."

"Lorelai," he mimicked. "I told you, I was at the airport, now I'm here. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't seem happy to see me."

"Correct me if _I'm_ wrong, but you have a tendency to show up and then leave with just a note with an explanation," Lorelai slid in some anger from the last time he was in town.

"So you're not happy to see me?" Chris repeated. Lorelai gave him an exhausted look. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing here. But I do know that I missed you."

"I missed you too," Lorelai said softly, her protective shell deteriorating.

"Since we're being blunt, what's the deal with Luke?"

"What are you talking about?" Lorelai played dumb.

"Luke: the man who runs the inn, the one you've told me absolutely nothing about," Chris poked.

"Oh! _That_ Luke. At first, I thought you were talking about Luke Skywalker. Because I really don't know where to start with Skywalker's deal. I mean is anyone has a deal, it's that guy," Lorelai babbled, wanting to postpone the inevitable. Chris gave her a look, and she became a little more serious. "There is no _deal_ with Luke. He's my friend."

"For now?" Chris asked.

"Yes."

"And in the future?" He pressed. Lorelai hesitated, which alone gave herself and Chris the answer.

"Luke is, he's just uh…I don't know. I mean, at time it seems like there might be something there, but other times I'm convinced he just sees me as a friend," she sighed then looked at her ex. "But I am happy to see you."

"Good," he said with a sincere expression. He stretched and stood up. "Now that that's all cleared up, I'm going to get some of that party punch. You want some?"

"Yes please," she said with a smile. Chris bent over and kissed her forehead.

* * *

Luke walked around the square that night at the bonfire. He gave in to peer pressure and paid—too much—for a cup of Founders' Day Punch. He talked with Morey as Patty and Babette preformed a scene from Mama Mia in front of the bonfire, which Kirk spent the day setting up. He missed the lighting of the bonfire, but he could almost guarantee that it took about 20 minutes to find a lighter or matches.

He rounded the corner and spotted Lorelai sitting on a bench, but she wasn't alone. Luke watched Chris kiss Lorelai's forehead before walking away. Against his better judgement, Luke decided to sit next to her. Dinner had been stressful, as usual, and he wasn't in the best emotional state. But hopefully talking to her would make him feel better.

"Where's the fire department when you need them?" Luke asked as he sat down next to her.

They had been friends for years, but physical contact was a rare occurrence. Their fingers would touch when exchanging money, they'd hug on holidays, she had given him that kiss on the cheek on Christmas to thank him for the present. Despite everything, she always felt a tingling sensation whenever she felt the pressure of his body on hers. And at that moment, his leg was resting right next to hers on the bench, and Lorelai made a quick note of the warmth, not coming from the fire.

"I don't know, these fires get bigger every year," Lorelai said. "How long have you been here? I haven't seen you since the game."

"There was a small overbook issue at the inn, so I had to check that out. I just got back."

"Did you see Harry and Taylor get into a fight?" Lorelai asked.

"What? Oh no, how'd I miss that?" Luke asked, looking around as if the fight was still going on. He sat back once again. "So… where's Chris?"

"Ah, he's a party punch junkie, something the two of you have in common, apparently," Lorelai pointed at Luke's punch he had been nursing.

"It'll probably kill me, but I need all the help I can get with this town sometimes," Luke shrugged. "Is he having a good time?"

"Yeah, he's been running around, taking pictures of everyone."

"Is he staying?" Luke asked directly. Lorelai shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know," she said.

"Do you want him to?"

"I don't know," she said quicker.

"He seems to really like you," Luke said, the words tasted bitter coming from his mouth.

"He does, but he doesn't have the greatest attention span," she said. "But he is here."

"He is," Luke didn't know how to further the conversation without saying something dumb. Luckily, it was Lorelai's time to rant.

"I don't know. You spend a lot of time debating things: Is it right? Is it wrong? Should I do this, should I do that? I mean, sometimes you should just jump in and take a shot. What's the worst that can happen? He's left before, I lived. Maybe this time things will change."

"Do you want things to change?" Luke found himself asking. Lorelai looked at him.

"I've never liked change, but I've always been good at dealing with it. If he changes and stays, or if he doesn't change and leaves, I'll be okay either way."

"I know you will," Luke said. "But if you aren't, I'm here for you."

"That means a lot, thanks Luke," Lorelai said, smiling at him. They sat on the bench together, not knowing that Chris was watching them from across the square. They looked so happy talking, and Chris knew right then and there that Luke was a threat to the relationship. Even so, Lorelai looked so beautiful and happy in that moment, so Chris snapped a picture of the two of them.

There was a budgeting error, and there were no fireworks that night. But that was okay, neither were in the mood for them anyway.

* * *

 **Two weeks later, the middle of June  
**

The following weeks dragged on for Luke. Every time he went to the cafe, Luke saw Chris there, waiting tables or cleaning or even cooking. At the inn, he ranted to Sokka about him.

"And he is just there, working like he's been there forever."

"Actually, he's more involved in the café than you think," Sokka said.

"What do you mean?"

"He was there when her dad died. He helped her buy the furniture and set everything up when she converted the store. He even helped her decide on the menu," Sokka defended his best friend's ex. "He took the picture for the cover." Luke thought about the plate of scones and a latte that he had stared at many times.

"If you tell me he's the one who added oatmeal, I might never recover," Luke mumbled, drinking Sokka's peach-mint tea.

"She didn't add that until after he left," Sokka said, hiding the whole truth. Luke read the familiar guilty expression on his face, but Sokka stopped him from asking more questions.

"Sokka—"

"No! Okay? I'm in a difficult position here! I've been friends with Lorelai since middle school. We studied abroad together. We've been through a lot. And I've been there for her every time Chris came back and left."

"How many times has he done that, exactly?" Luke asked. Sokka thought for a moment, counting on his hands.

"He left town right after graduation, and they broke up after a few months of distance. When Lorelai and I were in France for school, Chris was there too and spent months with us. They broke it off when the semester was up. The semester after that, Richard died."

"Lorelai told me that her dad got to see her graduate a week before he passed," Luke said. Sokka nodded solemnly. Richard was always accepting of everyone. No matter who you were, what you looked like, sexual orientation, economic status: Richard was warm and kind to everyone. When Sokka came out to his family, he was kicked out of his house. Richard took Sokka in until he got back up on his feet. In some ways, Sokka was the son Richard never had.

"When he died, Chris came back to Lorelai. He supported her and helped her make plans for the funeral, he was the one who suggested Lorelai turn the hardware store into a café. He left when she was back on her feet. He'd stop by every few months, until…"

"The one-night stand three years ago," Luke nodded.

"How do you know about that?" Sokka thought that he, Lorelai, and Cassy were the only ones who knew about that.

"Um, Lorelai told Maxine a few months ago, then Maxine told me," Luke explained simply. "Then I talked to Lorelai about it a little after that."

"He hasn't been back until now. She's been through a lot with him. He's broken her heart half a dozen times," Sokka said, thinking about the couple times they broke up in high school.

"Then why does she keep going back? She knows he's going to hurt her."

"I think the bigger issue here is why you care so much," Sokka redirected.

Luke's face changed color. From working with him for a few years, Sokka had gotten to know Luke face pigments very well. During this conversation, he's gone from normal tannish-pale to angry red. But now it was changing to a pink blush. Sokka knew that deep-down, Luke was secretly interested in Lorelai, as well as knowing that Lorelai was completely in love with Luke. But Lorelai loved Chris once too. They had history, and Sokka knew that Lorelai would do almost anything to make things work with Chris. Sokka would never say it, but he wanted Lorelai to pick Luke.

"I care because she's my friend," Luke said after stuttering a bit. "And I don't want to see her hurt."

"Neither do I, but you don't see me ranting," Sokka shook his spoon at him. "I know I've asked you this before, but do you have feelings for her?"

"She's my friend. She feeds me and fixes up my house. And she listens to me and helped me with my dad and is there for Roy, and if you think there's more going on between us, you're mistaken," Luke said, trying to convince himself more than Sokka.

"Then be there for her through this. She'll need a friend when he leaves," Sokka said.

"You think he'll leave again?" Luke asked. Sokka looked down at his soup before facing Luke again.

"Do you think Lorelai is beautiful? And don't give me this friends bullshit, it's a simple question."

"Yeah, of course she's beautiful," Luke said, wanting to get off this topic. He never allowed himself to cross that line with her. Sokka looked at Luke with sympathy.

"She is beautiful, inside and out," Sokka said. "She's a great woman with a greater heart. She could get _any_ guy, and she's picked Chris time after time. But Chris has never picked her, at least not for more than a couple months. Do I think he'll leave? I hope he doesn't, for Lorelai's sake. But given his history, he'll probably be gone before the end of summer."

"Really?" Luke said.

"Yes, so as her friend, since you are just friends, right?" Luke nodded. "Then be there for her. BE her friend, don't leave her just because there's some one else. Remember, she was your friend through Maxine, you need to be her friend through this," Sokka then went back to cooking, and Luke knew the conversation wouldn't be going anywhere else. Luke had to accept the change, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

For Chris' birthday that week, Lorelai wanted to take him out to a nice restaurant, as well as give him the best present ever. After searching all of the photography stores in Hartford, Lorelai found the best camera case for him. While she was there, she decided to get a new outfit for the dinner. As she walked through the classier places, she felt like Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman._ She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, while the other customers wore pencil shirts or dresses.

Despite the dirty looks by several other women, Lorelai bought five outfits. She would get the advice of Sokka or Cassy before deciding which one to keep and which four to return. When Lorelai got back to Stars Hollow, she found out that Sokka and Jackson were on a day trip to New York, and Cassy had called in sick.

So, Lorelai waited for someone to enter the café that could help. Miss Patty or Babette would be a good choice, but when Luke walked in for the first time in three days, Lorelai spoke before thinking.

"Luke!" She yelled from across the room.

"What?" He called back, obviously in a grumpy mood. But Lorelai had already gotten the ball moving, and there was no stopping this crazy train.

"I need your help," Lorelai said. "Trevor, can you cover for a while?"

"Sure thing," Trevor called from the kitchen.

"Upstairs," Lorelai said and she walked through the curtain. When Luke didn't follow right away, she turned back and said, "Come on." When they got upstairs, Luke saw Lorelai's clothes spread out everywhere.

"Did your closet explode?" He asked.

"I need your help."

"You said that. But I'm not cleaning this."

"No, I need help choosing an outfit for tonight."

"And you thought that _I_ would be the best choice?" Luke didn't know a thing about women's fashion, and he was thankful that he didn't have a daughter.

"No, actually, you're about 6th on the list, but you're the only one here, and I need to start getting ready like, 10 minutes ago."

"So I'm just supposed to pick something?" Luke said, agreeing to her desperate plea. He was taking Sokka's advice to be her friend.

"No, well, yes, but out of this section," Lorelai said, pointing to a pile of dresses.

"Got a hot date?"

"Something like that," Lorelai said. "It's Chris' birthday and we're going out somewhere nice."

"Gotcha," Luke said. He picked up a pink dress and gave her a look. "Where did you buy this? The princess emporium?"

"It was a bridesmaid dress from when one of my college friends got married."

"How about you tell me your favorites and I'll decide from them?" Luke proposed, and Lorelai agreed. She picked two blue dresses and a black one.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked.

"Arugula, in Hartford," Lorelai said.

"Okay so that is more casual, so the ballgown can go," Luke pointed at the long blue dress. He looked between the remaining two, both knee length with sleeves.

"Well?"

"They look the same to me," Luke said.

"I'm going to try them on, then you can pick the best one," Lorelai said, then ran into the bedroom before Luke could refuse. He looked around and decided to help her clean up the mess.

Lorelai put on the black dress first, and quickly realized that it was too low-cut for a date, especially to show Luke. She felt a little weird asking for Luke's help, but she. So she switched into the blue one and smiled at the choice. It showed her curves without being unflattering. When she walked out to her room, she saw Luke hanging up her dresses.

"Freeze," Lorelai said, and Luke froze. "Now, put down the lady's clothes, and no one gets hurt, except your pride." Luke rolled his eyes and walked to the closet with the dress.

"Yeah, well the mess was bothering me and I figured you wouldn't want to spend time cleaning before your date," Luke said. When he turned to face Lorelai, he did his best to show as little emotion as possible. Because if he didn't, then his mouth would have dropped and his eyes would have sprung out of his head like a Loony Tunes cartoon.

"What do you think?" Lorelai asked, spinning for him.

"It looks nice," Luke said. "What about the black one?"

"I like this one best," Lorelai said. "Now, accessories."

"Nope, I'm done," Luke said, his hands up in surrender. This was his good deed of the day, he couldn't take anymore. "This is more estrogen I need in a month."

"Can you do one more thing?" Lorelai asked.

"What?"

"Can you cut the tag off?" Lorelai said. She walked over to her toolbox, and Luke looked away as she bent over to retrieve a pair of scissors.

"Sure," he said. He walked behind her and took the scissors. He looked for the tag at the collar, but it must have been tucked in between the fabric and her skin. "I can't find it."

"If you unzip it a bit, then it should be right inside," Lorelai said. Luke held his breath as he pulled down in the golden zipper until he saw the clasps of her bra, then he stopped quickly. He pealed back the flaps of blue cloth and found the tag that was stuck on her pale skin. He snipped the plastic string and collected the pieces. Luke quickly zipped the dress, consequently catching Lorelai's hair in the process.

"Ow!" She yelled.

"Oh, sorry sorry," Luke said, as he tried to gently free her curly locks. They were laughing as he struggled, all awkwardness broken. Until they heard a throat being cleared from the kitchen. They looked up and saw Chris standing there.

"Chris," Lorelai said.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, and Luke feared that he would get into a fight.

"I got a new dress for tonight," Lorelai explained. "Do you like it?" She tried to model it for her boyfriend, but the zipper situation prohibited much action. Luke finally got her hair cleared and zipped the dress back up.

"And he was helping you get dressed?" Chris said, oddly calm for how angry he probably was.

"In a way. So I got five dresses, and I was going to get help from Cassy or Sokka, but neither of them were here, and today was the only day where Miss Patty and Babette weren't in here, so when I saw Luke, I figured that he was the best I could get short notice."

"Thanks," he grumbled.

"He was helping me cut the tag, and then my hair got stuck," Lorelai said.

"Well you look great," Chris said. He walked over to get and gave her a kiss. Luke took his as his exit, and walked toward the door.

"See ya," he said to them before leaving.

* * *

Chris loved the camera case, and the diner was nice. When they got back, neither said a word about what had happened there. They just made love and went to sleep. Well he went to sleep, Lorelai was still awake through the wee hours of the morning. She looked over to where she and Luke stood earlier, and she tried to ignore her previous feelings for him. Chris was all that Lorelai could think about.

* * *

 **July**

On the 4th of July, Luke and Roy joined Lorelai and Chris by the lake for the town's picnic. They all watched the fireworks together, and it was nice. Luke and Chris we civil, the dress incident was never mentioned. Chris even offered to teach Roy how to play the guitar.

But after the holiday, Luke came into the café less and less. First, he avoided the café when he knew that Chris was working, so Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. But even when Chris wasn't there, Luke still didn't feel comfortable being there. July went by quickly, and Luke was thankful for that.

Lorelai and Chris were getting along well. He had a couple drawers, a shelf, and part of the closet. They were becoming more comfortable with each other, and Lorelai let herself believe that he was going to be there forever. She prepared herself to accept that, and it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She missed seeing Luke every day, and she especially missed the late-night conversations, but that was in the past, and Chris was her future. And she was okay with that.

* * *

 **So what do you think of Chris? I did my best to combine Rachel's attitude and Chris' douche-ness to make him be likable yet a bit sketchy.  
**

 **How long do you think they'll last? Should they get married in a OG Luke & Nicole way? Should Luke get back together with Maxine and recreate the almost wedding from Season 2? Let me know in the comments!**


	8. August: Yellow Daisies

**Two updates in one month? Unheard of! This update is quicker than the last few because I had most of this written when I posted the last time, but I really did need help with how to end this chapter. So thanks to those who reviewed and PMed me, I truly appreciate it because now I have a better sense of direction regarding this story.** ** **I want to give a big thanks to all of my lovely readers! I love writing this stuff for myself, but I'm glad I can share my stories with other people.****

* * *

 **August: Yellow Daisies  
**

Chris had been in Stars Hollow for a couple months, and Lorelai got used to waking up next to him. Chris would stay up later than her, and she'd wake up before him, so Lorelai knew that when she rolled over in the morning, Chris would be right there. She'd bring up some coffee for him, then when he awoke, Chris would come downstairs and they'd eat breakfast together. It was their routine. It was nice. It was too good to be true.

That morning in the beginning of August, Lorelai woke up and Chris wasn't in bed. Lorelai felt that familiar feeling of sadness and panic building up in her chest. Once again, he was gone. She looked around for a note, but he didn't leave one. Lorelai sat back on the bed, anticipating tears and bawling. But it never came, Lorelai just dealing with the initial panic's aftermath. Then she heard the door open.

"Lorelai?" Chris called. He turned the corner and saw her get out of bed. "Late start?" He asked. Lorelai was relieved. She had let herself worry about nothing, which in its own sense worried her even more.

"Yeah, sort of," she said. "But you had an early start, where were you?"

"I was at Frank's," Chris said, setting down a large envelope. Frank's Fotos was the town's only place to develop film. Frank not only developed photos, but he took professional photos, like for weddings or family portraits, as well as being the sports photographer for the _Stars Hollow Gazette._ The store was only open on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6am until 3pm. "I ran out of a chemical I needed to develop my pictures from the Summer Festival, so I headed over there quick to buy some from him. But of course, he offered to develop them for me for free." Chris was a charmer if nothing else.

"When do you get them back?" Lorelai asked, noticing his empty hands.

"He's doing them as we speak. I should have them by next week," Chris said. "Which means I have some free time today." He moved closer to Lorelai with his bedroom eyes, knowing how he wanted to spend the rest of the morning. Lorelai didn't know what happened, but she bolted out of bed.

"Chris, I actually have to head over to Luke's," she said the first thing that came to mind. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to be at the apartment. "So can you cover for me? Cassy and Trevor opened an hour ago." Lorelai asked. Chris gave her a look, but agreed. Lorelai kissed Chris on the cheek, grabbed her toolbox, and went downstairs.

Lorelai got out of the café quickly and into the wooded area that separated the café and Luke's house. When she got to the middle of the area, she leaned against a tree, breathing heavily, and cried. She felt so many emotions. Along with the initial sadness and panic of thinking Chris had left again, she now felt something else. Guilt. She felt guilty that she doubted Chris, the person she should have trusted the most. In the confliction, she decided to follow through with her lie, and went over to Luke's.

* * *

At the Crap Shack, Luke was woken up abruptly by the sounds of rhythmic pounding outside his house. He tried to ignore it, but it kept going. He groaned loudly as he got out of bed. Knowing Roy, he'd still be asleep, so there was no use checking up on him, but he did. Luke walked down to his son's room, opened the door, and saw Roy asleep on his stomach, drool dampening the pillow beneath him.

"You are _not_ sleeping through this," Luke muttered, closing his son's door. Luke turned and walked to the front door and opened it, revealing Lorelai squatting and working on the front steps. He let out an annoyed sigh and closed the door behind him.

"Lorelai," he started. He hadn't seen her in a couple days, and he hadn't even asked her to come over. "What… are you doing?" Luke asked as calmly as possible.

"Well good morning to you too," Lorelai smirked at him. "I'm fixing this step."

"Yeah, I see that you're fixing that step . . . At six thirty in the morning!" Luke yelled, causing Lorelai to smile at him.

"It was the only time I could do it," she lied.

"Why? Just-Why?" Luke was flabbergasted to say the least.

"It was broken. I noticed last time I was here. It could hurt somebody," she scolded with a cutesy smile.

"Lorelai, listen, we sleep around here. Okay, we like it. It makes us handsome and keeps us from killing our crazy friends," he said as he paced.

"Luke, you're going to wake up Babette and Morey," Lorelai warned. She started hammering the step, finishing up.

"UGH! Could you pound one more thing while you're out here? Your head! And a for-sale sign on the lawn because we're moving. So that's two things. The sign and your head. And in that order, 'cause otherwise you'll be too dizzy to do the sign thing," Luke yelled before turning back to the door. He tried to walk back in the house, but the door was locked.

"For Christ's sakes," he mumbled, pulling and turning the knob violently.

"You locked out?" Lorelai asked, enjoying teasing him. The whole situation was a nice distraction for Lorelai.

"You don't exist!" He told Lorelai. He jiggled the knob a bit more.

"You shouldn't have closed the door."

"Can you get this unlocked?" He asked, ignoring her comment. Lorelai nodded, going back to her toolbox. She put the hammer inside and walked to the door. "What are you going to do? Flirt with the lock?" Luke asked.

"I have other skills, Luke," she said. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair. "Being a woman has its advantages." In a few motions and twists, the door was unlocked and Luke could go in.

"You just broke into my house," Luke said, impressed and somewhat confused.

"Yeah, you don't go to abroad without learning a few things," Lorelai smirked. "You have a few loose shingles, I'll fix them after breakfast."

"Okay, just go, now," he said, waving her off. Lorelai nodded. She packed up her things and was about to leave when Luke stopped her. "Wait."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for fixing the step," he said. Lorelai grinned at him.

"Anytime, I'll see you later," she said, then walked back to the café. By the time she returned, the place was busy so even though Chris was there, she decided to help out. They were too preoccupied to talk about anything, specifically Lorelai's mini freak out that morning, which Chris had noticed.

* * *

The following day, Lorelai spent almost all of her time at Luke's. She was fixing things that were broken, like the tile in the kitchen or the carpet on the stairs. When she fixed all of those things, she reinforced things that would soon be broken, like the windows. Luke noticed that she was spending more time at his house than with Chris, something that Chris noticed too.

Luke went to Latte Lorelai for lunch, hoping to talk to Lorelai about why she was avoiding Chris. When Luke sat at the counter, Lorelai was nowhere to be found. Chris was minding the restaurant in her absence.

"Hey," Chris greeted, shifting his body language when he saw Luke. "Your usual?" Chris asked. Luke nodded, silently loathing the fact that Chris knew his usual order. Luke readied himself for Chris' sub-par BLT, but he wasn't prepared for the conversation he'd receive as well.

"So where's Lorelai?" Luke asked casually. Chris gave him a look that said, _you've gotta be shitting me._

"Where do you think? She's fixing something at your house," Chris said. He put both hands on the counter and looked Luke dead in the face. "Luke, can we talk upstairs?" Luke didn't know what to do, so he nodded and followed Chris up the stairs to Lorelai's apartment.

When they got up there, Luke noticed Chris' pictures were hanging everywhere. He saw pictures of Big Ben, the Louvre, and other typical sights of Europe, so Luke figured Chris had taken these pictures before he left. Chris then took a deep breath and spoke softly,

"I think Lorelai's avoiding me." Luke didn't think it would come to this: Chris asking his advice about Lorelai. Thinking back to a previous conversation with Lorelai, he did his best to help.

"Oh you don't know that," Luke said unconvincingly. "She's been fixing my house for years."

"She's never been away this much since I've been back. In June, it was maybe once or twice a week that she would be over fixing something. Now it's three times a day," Chris said. "You're her friend, what's going on with her?"

"She's afraid she'll leave you again," Luke said honestly. "She hasn't talked about it explicitly, but I think that idea is floating around in her head."

"I'm not sure how to make Lorelai believe that I really want to stay this time," Chris sat on his bed, defeated. Luke pulled up a chair.

"Did you tell her that you want to stay?"

"Until I was blue in the face."

"Well you just have to keep trying until she hears you," Luke said, making a note to watch less talk shows during work.

"I don't blame her. I've given her no reason to believe me. I just hope that magically, somehow, she'd, I don't know, forget that I'd skipped out on her a million times before."

"It's gotta be hard for her," Luke said.

"I know. I know I haven't treated her the best in the past. But I really do want to be with her," Chris said. Luke swallowed hard.

"Then why do you keep leaving? I mean, if I had a someone as great as Lorelai, especially someone who seems to be waiting around for me, I wouldn't keep leaving her like you have," Luke said. Chris stared at him for a beat before letting out a sigh.

"You like her, don't you?" Chris said. Luke wasn't 100% sure about his feelings regarding Lorelai, but he didn't need to figure them out at this moment.

"I care about her because she's friend. My best friend," Luke clarified.

"Then can you help me?" Chris said. "I want to stay."

"From what I understand, every time you've said that in the past, Lorelai believed you. I think things are different this time around. She is anticipating you leaving, she's preparing for it."

"How can I convince her that I won't?"

"Let your actions speak. Show her that you're here to stay," Luke said. "You got to show her that even though things have been tough, that you're willing to work on it with her." That sentiment seemed to get through to Chris.

"I just got an idea, thanks pal. Your food's on me," Chris said, motioning Luke to go back to the café. As he was about to walk out, Lorelai walked in.

"Hiya," she said. She looked over Luke's shoulder and saw Chris. "You two gossiping, sharing secrets, planning a sleepover?"

"No, I was just asking him a question about photography, and he invited me up here to show me all of his… pictures," Luke said. Lorelai didn't really believe him, but was too exhausted from working on the Crap Shack all day that she just went with it.

"Alrighty," she said then went into her bathroom. Chris mouthed a thank you at Luke, and Luke nodded then left the apartment.

As Luke ate, he thought about how some would say that he gave up on most of his previous relationships, including Maxine. Maybe I'll call her up. That thought left as quickly as it came, Luke learning from his mistakes.

* * *

That night, Luke walked to his house after work. He set down his keys, took off his jacket, and looked through the mail he just picked up. Then, he heard a crash upstairs.

"Hello?" He called out. When there was no answer, he grabbed the baseball bat by the door. He always kept it there for situations like this. He slowly walked around the corner and came face-to-face with the intruder.

"Ah!" The person yelled. Luke was about to swing when he realized he was swinging at Lorelai.

"Lorelai!" He yelled. He dropped the bat instantly as she put her hands up to protect her face.

"Luke! God, you scared me half to death!" She yelled back.

"I scared you? This is my house. I didn't know it was you!"

"Who'd you think it was?"

"Well, I don't know!" Luke didn't know why he was still yelling. "I heard some thudding upstairs and Roy weighs like ten pounds, and it either had to be an escaped prisoner or some strange woman who should not be in my house. How did you get in here anyway?"

"Through the backdoor," Lorelai shrugged. Luke gave her a skeptical look.

"The backdoor's locked. So was the front door. I always lock my house," Luke said.

"No, that's why I came, the backdoor lock was broken."

"The backdoor lock was fine, I checked it this morning."

"The backdoor lock was cheap," Lorelai said firmly. "It's the kind of lock burglars look for because it's easy to break into. I proved that."

"You proved that by…?" Luke asked. Lorelai looked away, and Luke walked to the kitchen to look at the door.

"By breaking in through the back door."

"You broke into my house!" Luke was almost amused, but still angry. "Why...just... why? When you let me in yesterday, did you take that as an invitation to break in whenever you felt like?"

"I'm going to fix it, see?" Lorelai walked over to the lock and made an attempt to mend what she had broken.

"Lorelai, step away from the lock," Luke said. He put his hands on her shoulders and moved her away from the lock and into a chair.

"Why?"

"You have almost no free time with all your work at the café, and lately every spare moment has been spent, well, not with Chris."

"That's not true," Lorelai denied.

"He was looking for you today and he didn't know where you were. That's why I was in your apartment, he was asking why you were at my house," Luke said as he grabbed Roy's coffee grounds from the cupboard and he started brewing some coffee for Lorelai.

"I'm not hiding from him," Lorelai looked away.

"I didn't say you were hiding from him," Luke said. He added nutmeg to the grounds before starting the maker.

"It sounded like you were implying it," Lorelai said, which was correct, he was trying to imply it.

"Well someone's sensitive about the accusation," Luke said as he turned around and leaned against his counter. Lorelai took a deep breath and sighed.

"I think I'm hiding from him."

"I think you are too. But why?"

"I woke up yesterday, and he wasn't next to me in bed," she said out loud for the first time.

"Okay?" Luke crossed his arms, uncomfortable at the idea of them sleeping together.

"And he's always there. Every morning this summer, he's always been there in the morning when I wake up. And that morning, he wasn't. And I got scared because I didn't know where he was. And then I panicked because I thought he left me again, this time without a note. And then he came back and everything was fine, but I freaked and got out of there because I needed to cry, because when he came back, I felt guilty that I didn't trust him. I never cry, and I cried because of that. That's why I went to your place, because it was a safe place," Lorelai admitted.

"Lorelai…" Luke said as he sat down her coffee. He hated seeing her in pain like this. All of this confliction wasn't good for anyone.

"Why are you talking about this anyway?" Lorelai turned the conversation. "Talking about boys really isn't your favorite thing to do."

"I just want you to be happy," Luke said. His eyes were soft and his town was sincere. "And because you're my friend, Lorelai. And friends help friends. Your guy asked me for help regarding you, and it's my job to give him advice. You taught me that after Maxine," Luke said, surprising the both of them by bringing her up. They were silent for a moment, and Lorelai sipped her coffee. It was actually really good, for someone who doesn't drink coffee.

"It just not what I thought it would be like having Chris back. You know, it's not the fantasy I was toting around all these years," Lorelai made an excuse.

"Well, Lorelai, life is not a fantasy. Maybe you have to lower your expectation bar a little bit."

"So you're saying that life is just settling for whatever comes along?"

"Wait, do you think you're settling for Chris?" Lorelai asked.

"No, I think he's settling for me," Lorelai said quietly. Luke looked at her, unable to believe anyone would think that being with her would be settling.

"He's crazy about you. Even I can see that and I have the emotional capacity of a… table. I also know that you've been carrying a torch for him for a really long time."

"I have not been carrying a torch for him," Lorelai scoffed. Until this summer, Luke was the only one she thought about. Chris couldn't have been further from her mind.

"Well, you wanted this to happen, didn't you?" Luke asked. "You wanted him to come back." He watched her body language, she was about to deny, but agree.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay. So here it is, right in front of you. Just take it. Take the plunge. He could be ready. Just jump in and believe him. Unless, you know, there's some other reason you don't want to," he didn't know where that came from. Luke didn't know if he wanted to be a reason, a possibility, or whatever.

"Like what?" She asked. Three months ago, Luke was always on her mind: when she saw him every day, when they had their late-night conversations, when they had their moment. But now that Chris was back, she tried her best to ignore the old feelings. She convinced herself that they were, in fact, old feelings.

"Like I… I don't know," he shrugged, unable to think of an example.

"There's no other reason," Lorelai said, hoping the verbal claim would be enough to convince the both of them. Finally she needed to drop her infatuation with Luke. She needed to focus on her future with Chris.

"Just one more question," she asked as Luke sat down.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you get the bat?"

"What?"

"The bat that you almost murdered me with, where did you get it?" Lorelai asked with a smirk.

"Oh, you gave it to Roy for his 12th birthday."

"Oh yeah, that was the first birthday he had after we met," Lorelai smiled.

"You decided you were going to teach him two things that autumn. First, how to play baseball-"

"And he was actually decent at it," Lorelai pointed out.

"And second, to teach him how to make cupcakes."

"Oh god..." Lorelai shook her head as she remembered.

"My house smelt like the Pillsbury Dough Boy's ass until the New year," Luke scolded her.

"Yeah well," she trailed off, surprised that Luke remembered that.

"Do you feel better now?" Luke asked.

"I do," she said truthfully with a smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now get out of my house."

"Let me finish my coffee first," Lorelai smirked. "You know for someone who hates coffee, you make a pretty good cup."

"Yeah, well when you have to sit in on your father's business meetings, you get used to making coffee for all of the suits," Luke said, accepting the high praise from an addict like Lorelai. They sat for a few more minutes in comfortable silence.

* * *

The following day, Lorelai spend her morning and most of the afternoon at the café with Chris. They were smiling and laughing together, as it should have been.

Late in the afternoon, Lorelai came back from a meeting at the bank to find Cassy and Trevor working at the same time, which almost never happened ever because that was Chris' shift.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Lorelai asked, trying not to think of the worst. "Where's Chris?"

"He's upstairs," Cassy had a big grin on her face. "He said that he had a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Lorelai was intrigued. "Alright, you've got everything covered here?"

"We sure do!" Trevor called from the window to the kitchen. Lorelai nodded and made her way upstairs. When she opened the door to her apartment, a candle lighted up a path to the kitchen table. And on the table was a bouquet of yellow daisies.

"Madam," Chris appeared at her side wearing a dress shirt and pants.

"Chris, what is this?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I have come to the realization that you don't think I'm serious when I say I want to be here," he said seriously. Lorelai nodded slightly then he continued. "And I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me."

"Chris, this is amazing," Lorelai smiled.

They ate, drank, and laughed the night away. The evening turned serious when Chris addressed the fact that Lorelai had been avoiding him. He said he wanted to prove to her that he was serious, that he wanted to stay. Lorelai agreed, and began again to believe that Chris would stay. Maybe this time was for real. Maybe this was her happy ending. She just had to believe and wait.

* * *

Taylor had spent the summer going through old archives at the library in hopes of finding new information about the town. He dug up an old newspaper with the headline: End of Summer Arts Fair to Close. In the 60's, there used to be an arts and crafts fair on the square. From caricatures, to wood burning, from tie-dye to knitted clothing: the arts fair had everything.

"Why did it end?" Lorelai asked Taylor at the town meeting that Thursday. He was proposing to restart the fair. Chris was sitting next to Lorelai with his arm around the back of her chair, and the close proximity made Lorelai feel adored, it made Chris feel confident, and it made Luke uncomfortable to be sitting behind them.

"Well, there seemed to be an increase in… um… recreational… inhibitors. You know how artsy people are, especially in the 1960s," Taylor waved away the question. "But it's been a few decades, I think the _art scene_ has changed a bit." Luke rolled his eyes.

"So when is it going to be?" Babette asked.

"Excellent question!" Taylor said enthusiastically, causing Luke to groan again. He didn't know how Roy and Lorelai convinced him to come to these things. "There are four weekends left before Labor Day, and it will probably be best if we spread the festivities out, so I move to have the _End of Summer Arts Fair_ in two weeks? That way there's a week in between."

"I second," Kirk stood up.

"All in favor, say aye," Taylor said. The majority of the crowd responded. "The ayes have it. Motion passed. Is there any other business to attend to?" Taylor asked his committee, as well as the other townspeople. When no one spoke up, he banged his gavel and the meeting was adjourned.

* * *

After a couple weeks of preparation, the town's craft fair was in full swing. Morey and Babette revived the tie-dye booth, Miss Patty set up a wine and painting class, and there were dozens of visiting artists who set up displays of pottery, wood working, beading, knitting, and more.

For her contribution, Lorelai was helping out with the pie baking, decorating, eating, and throwing quadrathlon event.

"How does a pie quadrathlon fit into an arts and crafts fair?" Luke asked her that morning as he helped her set up her booth.

"Baking is an art, and so is decorating, obviously, and eating can be considered artistic—skillful even! You've seen me eat, isn't it weirdly beautiful?" Lorelai asked and Luke rolled his eyes.

"And the throwing? Are you going to say that there is a talent for throwing?"

"Well the throwing is just plain fun," Lorelai said. They finished setting up the stations, and Luke needed to get back to the Inn.

"This stupid fair has attracted all kinds of loons to my inn," Luke complained.

"Well send them to my café, share the looney-ness."

"I'll see you later," Luke rolled his eyes.

"Wait," Lorelai grabbed his arm and he stopped in his tracks. "Are we going to the fireworks tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, if you and Chris want to," Luke said. Lorelai had taken Luke's advice about trusting Chris, and in the past month she Lorelai made sure to spend time with her boyfriend.

"That sounds great," Lorelai smiled. She had felt bad that Chris had budded into their new tradition, but Luke seemed fine with it.

"Okay, I'll be at work all afternoon, so do you just want to meet at the pier before the fireworks?"

"Okay," she beamed. Luke smiled back and started to walk away before she called after him. "Luke!"

"What?" He said as he turned. Before he knew it, his face was covered in a cool white substance. Lorelai laughed loudly, as she had filled a pie tin with whipped cream. "Are you kidding me?" Luke yelled, but he couldn't stay mad at her.

"I needed to warm up," Lorelai managed to say over her laughter and smirking.

"I'm going to get you back for this, but now I'm really going to be late. I'll see you tonight."

"See ya," she beamed. She went back to setting up, not realizing that they had been watched.

Chris peered from the cafe as Luke and Lorelai were talking. Chris knew that there was a thing between the two, but he didn't want to believe what he thought it meant. He patted the ring in his pocket, which gave him strength to continue the day.

* * *

As the sky darkened, Lorelai helped the Knit Wits clean up their pie station—they weaved their pie like a basket, earning them extra points in the decorating contest—before she went back to the café.

"Ready for the fireworks?" Lorelai said as she entered her restaurant. Chris was standing behind the counter, doing the final wipe down of the night.

"Can we talk first?" Chris said. Lorelai nodded.

"Yeah, one sec," she said before making her way toward the stairs. "I need to get cleaned up, then get a blanket to sit on for the fireworks. Because in case you forgot last time, our asses hurt for a week after sitting on that pier for an hour. And Luke's probably there already saving the spot, so we really shouldn't keep him waiting. And guess what-" She was cut off by her name,

"Lorelai!" Chris yelled after. He never yelled. Before he could stop her, Lorelai opened the door. She stepped inside slowly, as she saw a sea of yellow daisies in vases along her counters, table, night stands, and on the windowsills. She was in awe, until she almost tripped over something on the ground. She looked down at her feet, and saw three packed bags. Chris was on his way out, and Lorelai felt a tide of panic wash her away.

"Chris?" She breathed. "You're leaving?" She asked.

"No, I mean," Chris started. "I need to ask you something."

"What could you possibly need to ask me? Obviously, you've made up your mind. Why else would all of your things be packed?" Lorelai wanted, walking around the room, looking for the large fleece blanket she planned on using for the fireworks. She dug in her cedar chest, after carefully removing the two vases on it.

"Lorelai," she heard Chris say.

"And why? Why would you bring all of these flowers in here if you're leaving? Thought it would be a cute parting gift? Something to remember you by?" She said and then found the blanket. Lorelai turned to face Chris—in both figurative and literal senses. She saw him before her and the blanket fell from her hands.

"Lorelai Victoria Danes," Chris started, down on one knee, holding a diamond ring. The day Luke told him to let his actions speak, Chris went out and bought the ring, hoping that action would do all the speaking for him. Lorelai's hands were shaking as he spoke.

"Chris," she whispered.

"I'm ready to settle down and have roots. I'm ready to live here and have a family. I'm ready for us. I just need to know if you're ready too. Lor, will you marry me?" Finally, _finally_ , Chris was going to stay, finally he wanted a family. Finally, he wanted her.

So why wasn't Lorelai saying yes?

"Why did you pack?" Lorelai asked, not giving him an answer. He stood up and walked closer to her.

"Because I don't know if you're going to say yes. If you say yes, I'll unpack in two seconds. If you say no, then I have to leave, probably for good. There's no middle ground here."

"Is this an ultimatum?" Lorelai asked. Funny now both she and Luke had to deal with ultimatums from the people they were supposed to love. Chris shrugged.

"Maybe, I don't know," Chris said. "I don't know a lot of things right now."

"Why do you think I would say no?" Lorelai asked.

"Because I don't know if you love me or someone else," Chris admitted.

"Someone else? Who…" Lorelai asked. Chris raised his eyebrows and looked at she desk, which had a picture of her, Luke, and Roy at a festival a long time ago. "Oh, no, Luke? You think I'm in love with Luke?"

"I don't know. I figured that if you had been waiting for me to come back and stay, that you'd say yes right away. But things are different now, and I think I know why."

"Chris," Lorelai said. Chris, still holding the ring in his hand.

"And you not saying yes right away, Lor, you already gave me your answer," he said. "Unless you say it right now, unless you say you love me and you put this ring on, I'll leave. I guess it is an ultimatum. It's now or never, Lorelai," Chris said. Lorelai stared at the ring before looking up at him again. The ring was bright, shiny, and new. It was the ring every woman wanted... right?

* * *

Luke was getting a little worried. Lorelai usually ran late, but never this late. The paths were lit by Tiki torches, but it wasn't hard to get lost. He sat on the edge of the pier, his feet dangling above the water. As the fire crew got into place, Luke heard footsteps behind him. He twisted his body to see who it was, and his assumption was correct.

"Hey," he greeted Lorelai, no Chris in sight. She sat on Luke's right side in silence, opening up the blanket and draped one corner over his shoulder before covering her own.

They were silent for a while. They watched their fellow townspeople gather along the grass surrounding the lake, all waiting for the show to start. A few minutes passed before Luke asked the question protruding from his mind.

"Where's Chris? I figured this would be a good spot for pictures." Lorelai didn't answer for a long time. She was trying to figure out a way to explain what happened. And more importantly, explain her feelings. She stared at the water as Luke looked at her.

"Lorelai," Luke said again, more concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm going away for a while," Lorelai said finally. Luke was confused and worried once again.

"Away? Where, and why? Is everything okay?"

"Chris asked me to marry him," Lorelai said slowly. "That's why I was late." Luke was surprise. That wasn't what Luke meant when he told Chris to let his actions speak.

"What did you say?" Luke asked, earning himself a raised eyebrow and a non-comical laugh from Lorelai. She once again thought over what had just happened.

**********.**********

 _"It's now or never, Lorelai," Chris said._

 _"Chris... I can't," she said. He nodded and stood up without argument. He walked over to his bags and pulled a large yellow envelope from the side pocket of his camera bag. Chris handed it to Lorelai with some parting words, then he walked out of her life, possibly forever._

 _Lorelai sat on the couch, still in shock about what just happened. As tears slowly fell down her face, she opened the envelope. Inside was a picture of her and Luke from the_ Fun in the Sun _festival. She remembered sitting on that bench, she remembered the conversation, but she didn't know Chris was watching. Lorelai then realized that Chris had seen it all along, and he stayed. Until now.  
_

 _And just like that, the tears stopped. And Lorelai knew why. She grabbed the blanket and quickly made her way to the lake, hoping she'd be able to find Luke in the dark._

**********.**********

"I'm here alone with you, without a ring," Lorelai said. When Luke didn't say anything, she added redundantly. "I said no."

"How did it happen?" Luke asked, instantly feeling happier that she had said no. He never wanted her to end up with Chris, she deserved much better.

"I walked up to the apartment, and he had filled it with a thousand yellow daisies. That was our thing," she said, then she almost laughed. "And the thing is, his proposal wasn't good."

"How so?" Luke wondered how a proposal could be bad.

"He kept using 'I.'" Lorelai said, her throat closing slightly with emotion.

"I?"

"As in, ' _I'm_ ready to settle down. _I'm_ ready to have a family. _I'm_ ready for us.' It was actually really selfish," Lorelai said with a sad laugh. Then she whispered, "Our entire relationship was him being selfish, if you think about it..."

"Where is he?" Luke asked, wondering if he was still around.

"Gone, he was already packed so he just took his bags and left. He gave me an ultimatum," Lorelai said.

"An ultimatum?"

"Yeah? Can you believe it? Chris, the guy who has dipped in and out of my life since high school. The king of charm. The slime who writes a note. _He_ gives _me_ and ultimatum? God..."

"What was the ultimatum?"

"If I accepted his proposal, he would have stayed. If I didn't accept it, he was gone. No more dating, no more one-night stands. It would be over."

"I can't believe that," Luke whispered. "He left that all up to you?"

"He did," she said. "And when I said no, he left. His bags were already packed." Luke instinctively put his arm around her shoulder under the blanket. He had gone through the same thing with Maxine. That was a lot to bare alone.

"He doesn't know what he's missing," Luke said. Lorelai was about to deepen the conversation, but the fireworks cut her off. They sat on their pier for the half-hour show, Luke's arm not moving once. Lorelai felt something shift between them that night once again. She knew Chris was right about one thing.

* * *

"You said you were leaving, why?" Luke asked on their way back to the café. They hadn't said a word since the lake. His arm had long left her, but he was still by her side.

"I need to figure some things out. I think I need a break from this place, this town, everything. I'll be gone for a week, two tops."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to track down my sister and my niece in New York. It's been too long since I've seen them and I want to make sure they're doing alright."

"Would you like some company?" Luke found himself asking. Lorelai smiled at the sweet man that came out of his grumpy shell for her and only her.

"No, I really do need to be alone for a while. This summer has taken a lot out of me," Lorelai said. "But thanks for offering."

"Yeah well," he said. They got to her door. "Can I ask one more thing?"

"Sure," Lorelai said, even though she had more than enough questions for the day.

"Why did you say no?" Luke asked. She looked away for a moment, then made eye contact.

"I realized that he was going to leave me again, sooner or later," Lorelai said. She wasn't completely lying.

"I'm sorry," Luke said. "Will he be coming back?"

"I highly doubt it," Lorelai gave a humorless laugh. "And if he does, I'm not taking him in, not again. And that's okay. I actually feel refreshed now, you know? Like there used to be the weight of him, the unknown and the pining. But that's gone now. It feels good," Lorelai said, proving it to Luke with a smile. He didn't smile back, but he reached for her and gave her a hug. That night contained the most physical contact between them for the entire summer. In his arms, Lorelai felt safe. With her in his arms, Luke felt needed. Maybe this was the moment, their moment? No, not yet.

As Lorelai got ready for bed, she went over the night, piece by piece, minute by minute, question by question. Her final thought before drifting off to sleep was about the part she omitted from Luke.

**********.**********

 _Lorelai had just told Chris "goodbye," and he had walked over to his bags and pulled the large yellow envelope from the side pocket of his camera bag. He handed it to Lorelai with some parting words._

 _"Don't wait too long," Chris said._

 _"To what?" Lorelai said, looking at him one last time._

 _"To tell him," Chris said. He gave Lorelai one last smile, then left._

* * *

 **So there it is! I had a hard time deciding how to end this chapter. I could have revealed Lorelai was engaged at the fireworks. I also tried a couple times to add Maxine back into the mix, like when at the end of season one, Max came back just as Luke is about to proclaim his love. But thanks to a couple reviewers, I decided against both of them, and went along with one reviewer's idea of her going to find Liz.**

 **So I want to give a couple shout-outs: the first one was an anonymous "Guest," who gave me the idea for the next chapter. The second was "nzlouise," who wasn't afraid to critique the marriage tropes of the series.**

 ** **Please, if you have any specific moments you want me to gender swap, or suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review!** Thank you to all who do review, it makes my day, and I really do take your ideas into consideration.**


	9. September: The Newest Member

**Hi all! I hope your November is doing well! I've been busy traveling around Europe, so far I've been to Dublin, Isle of Man, Scotland, and Amsterdam. This week I'm going to Paris the day after Thanksgiving, which will by last out-of-country trip. It's weird not being home for the holiday, but I got a secret family recipe that I'm making for my Friendsgiving at my friend's flat, so hopefully I don't get too homesick.**

 **About the chapter: Well if you read the title, or the reviews, you might be able to determine who the newest member of Stars Hallow is, but if not, keep reading! This was a really fun chapter to write, also one of the longest ones, so I hope you like it! R &R!**

* * *

 **September: The Newest Member**

Luke's alarm woke him up early that morning, earlier than usual. He rolled over, switched it off, and tried to go back to sleep. Then another alarm went off on the other side of him. Luke was confused, but rolled again over to stop it. That's when he realized he wasn't in his bed. As Luke remembered the night before, he smiled and looked around the room for Lorelai. He was in her old apartment after spending the night. She needed to get up earlier than usual to open the café, so they stayed over. And in the kitchen stood Lorelai, in her short blue bathrobe, making breakfast on the stove.

"Morning sexy," he mumbled as he walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. He played with the robe's knot that rested on her stomach.

"Good morning," Lorelai said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good, I think the bed here is more comfortable than our bed at home."

"I'm glad we decided to keep it here. It feels like a mini-vacation," Lorelai said as she moved her head to the side to give Luke a kiss on the lips. _God, did I love that feeling._

"Got plans for the day?" Luke said as he let her resume cooking. Luke started the coffee and his tea.

"I'm opening in about half an hour," Lorelai looked at her watch. "Then I have a meeting at the bank, another appointment with the caterer, and then a doctor's appointment before I come home."

"What's wrong with the caterer?"

"Nothing, besides Sokka is worried the lady will mess up cocktail hour," Lorelai said. "Which doesn't even matter because I won't be able to drink any of the cocktails."

"I know, dear," Luke smiled and handed her the coffee cup. She took one whiff of it, then glared at Luke as she took a sip.

"What's wrong?" He asked, hoping she hadn't caught on.

"This is decaf," Lorelai said. _Damn it._

"What are you talking about?" He tried to play it off.

"You switched my coffee again," Lorelai said. Luke rolled his eyes and Lorelai searched her old kitchen for the good stuff.

"I'm a busy man. I don't have time to sneak around switching your coffee. I have an inn to run, I have guests to take care of, I have things to type and file," Luke rambled. Then she opened the cupboard under the sink. "Will you stop that?"

"Ha!" Lorelai found the regular coffee tin and held it above her head like a trophy. "Ha, ha, ha, under the sink, very clever, but not clever enough bucko!" Luke lifted his arms above his head in surrender.

"Okay, fine, you know what? I give up," he said. "This caffeine addiction is not my problem anymore." He started making her a fresh pot.

"Thank God, finally. I knew I'd wear you down one day," Lorelai smiled as she plated their breakfast. _You wore me down a long time_ ago, Luke thought. Veggie omelet for Luke, meaty one for herself.

"Go one day without coffee," Luke challenged as the hot liquid dripped into the pot.

"You just said you gave up, that's not giving up," Lorelai pointed out.

"If you do, I'll put a toy in your cereal," Luke offered. Lorelai looked over her shoulder.

"Dirty!" She said, and Luke couldn't help but to smile. He handed her the cup of coffee.

"Fine, here, you win," he said. Lorelai beamed as she took a sip.

"Thank you," she said. They sat down and ate. Lorelai rambled as Luke listened, that aspect of their relationship hadn't changed.

"I'm picking Roy up from Yale today, need anything from New Haven?"

"We're out of Q-Tips," Lorelai said.

"I'll alert the media," he deadpanned as he got dressed. All shyness from undressing in front of each other died long ago. Lorelai quite literally disrobed, and Luke looked at the beauty of his best friend turned lover. Her slightly rounded belly brought a smile to his face. Luke couldn't remember a time when he was so happy.

"See, that's better with the accent," Lorelai said as she finished buttoning her flannel, which was the only thing that fit her anymore. Funny the circles they run.

"The reference is enough, you'll learn that one day. I'll be home early, anything besides the Q-Tips?"

"Um, cotton balls, world peace, a rocket ship," Lorelai said. Luke smiled at her.

"And what time is your appointment?" Luke asked.

"With the caterer, at noon. I can't believe the wedding is a month away," Lorelai mused.

"Well a shotgun wedding seems appropriate," Luke said, despite them planning the wedding before their little surprise. Lorelai shook her head and as he cleared the plates. "And the doctor's?"

"It's at 4:30, but you don't have to come," she shrugged.

"I'm coming. We're in this together, I should be there too," Luke said, and he kissed her again.

"That is an excellent point," Lorelai said.

"Goodbye crazy lady," he said on her lips. Then he leaned down to her stomach and kissed it too. "Goodbye Sid and Nancy."

"Fred and Ethel," Lorelai corrected.

"What?"

"I changed my mind, don't tell Roy," Lorelai said. Luke shook his head, thinking about their son, and how his siblings would be 19 years younger than him.

"Decaf?" Luke tried one last time.

"Never," Lorelai insisted.

"They'll both have two heads," he reasoned.

"Then there will be more to love," Lorelai said. She kissed him one more time before Luke left for his inn. He left their apartment, smiling at his life.

******.******

Luke woke up to his actual alarm with a start. He looked around and saw that he was in his own bed, in his own house, alone. It was all a dream. He had been dreaming about Lorelai for weeks now, and it was beginning to be a problem. When the dreams first occurred, he had asked Roy to analyze the dreams, which were either about her being pregnant or them getting married, or obviously a combination of the two. Roy always said the same thing:

"It means that you are secretly in love with Lorelai, and you want to marry her and want her to have your babies." So Luke stopped asking. He did his best to deny his feelings for Lorelai, but he was so jealous when she was with Chris, and so relieved when they broke up, that Luke was questioning everything.

Luke needed to get up and shower anyway, hoping to get rid of the residual effects of the dream, both physical and emotional.

* * *

"When is Lorelai coming back?" Roy asked as he and Luke ate breakfast at the café later that morning. School started two weeks ago, and Roy was happy to be back at Chilton. He wasn't, however, happy about the lack of back-to-school-breakfast. Every year on the first day of school, Lorelai makes him his favorite Danish and a hazelnut latte. It's a simple tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

"Any day now," Luke said, hoping it would be true.

"She said she would be back after a couple weeks. But it's been a month."

"I don't know what to tell you, kid. Maybe she found a better life in New York. Maybe she's never coming back."

"Maybe she found a rich café owner, shacked up with him, and they make love every day," Miss Patty said wistfully from behind them.

"What if she got kidnapped! What if someone took her? Do you think she's okay?" Roy said in a sudden panic. He was acting like a child, but Luke didn't tell him to grow up. He too was worried about all of those things, constantly. He got one phone call from her when she arrived in New York, but nothing since then.

"Lorelai didn't get kidnapped. Even if she was taken, she'd talk her way out of it. Or she'd use a hair clip to break out of her cell and escape. Lorelai is fine. She'll be home soon," Luke said to calm down his son, and himself.

"She better be," Roy said. Dawn knocked on the window and Roy departed with his coffee to-go.

"She'll be back soon, Gorgeous," Babette patted Luke on the arm.

"I know," Luke said gruffly. He looked at his tea. He hoped so.

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai pulled up to the café. It was well passed closing at 10:30, but that's how she wanted it. She had been gone for a month. That was plenty of time for the gossip and speculation to stew, and Lorelai didn't want to deal with that. There was another reason she wanted to come in quietly.

"Jessie, we're here," Lorelai lightly shook the arm of her niece. Jessie, who was 16 going on 26, was Lorelai's souvenir from New York. After finding Liz in a crappy apartment in a not-so friendly part of Queens, Lorelai knew she needed to help. Especially after Jessie rolled in at 1:00 in the morning, smelling like weed, cigarettes, and alcohol.

"Home, sweet home," Jessie groaned. The two ladies exited the jeep and carried their bags into the building and up to the apartment.

"So I didn't have time to get a bed for you, so you can sleep on the couch tonight, and we'll get everything sorted tomorrow. Are you hungry?" Lorelai asked as she set her bags on her bed. When she didn't hear an answer, she turned and saw Jessie asleep on the couch. "I'll be right back."

* * *

By 11:00pm, Luke was usually asleep in his bed, dreaming about checking in guests and balancing the Inn's budget, or more recently, being married to Lorelai. But that night, he wasn't asleep. That night, he was wide awake because of thoughts of Lorelai getting mugged or worse in New York. That was, until, he heard a soft clink against his window. The clinks continued for a moment, until Luke got up and opened the blinds. There, standing in his yard and throwing rocks at his window, was Lorelai.

"One minute," Luke said to her in a stage whisper. She nodded and made her way back to the front porch. He was happy, and annoyed, but mostly relieved that she was okay. He put on a zip-up hoodie over his t-shirt and walked downstairs quietly so he wouldn't wake up Roy. When he was outside, he was bombarded with a hug.

"Lorelai," he said. He didn't hesitate to hug her back. After a moment, she pulled away and let out a sigh.

"Hi Luke," Lorelai noticed that he hadn't shaved in a while, and the scruff still looked really good on him. On some guys it looked patchy and gross, but on Luke it always looked sexy. She held out a cup. "Sleepytime tea. I figured if I woke you, this would help ease the hate."

"There's no hate and I wasn't asleep," Luke admitted as they sat on the stairs where they'd had so many conversations.

"Got a lot on your mind?"

"I was just worrying about a certain friend who was in New York, possibly getting mugged. You know, the usual," Luke said. Lorelai looked over at him. "I was worried, you know. You only checked in once. I never knew if you were okay."

"I'm sorry I worried you," Lorelai said, almost surprised at his comment. "But Luke, I… I was almost engaged, so I think I needed to disengage for a while. And that meant separating myself from Stars Hollow. Unfortunately, that included you."

"Well next time, at least send a carrier pigeon once in a while," Luke let out a small smile.

"Smoke signals too," Lorelai nodded.

"So, did you find your sister?"

"Yes…" Lorelai said, and Luke recognized her _I have more to say_ face.

"And?"

"So I got there, right?" Lorelai started her rant and Luke sat back, almost smiling because of how much he missed her. "And this place, oh my God, if you thought my apartment was messy, this was a dumpster. Just trash everywhere, and that was before I got into their apartment. I had to wait an hour before Liz even came home, and then it was hours more before Jessie came back. It was the first time in years that I'd seen this girl, and my first impression of her was not good."

"What does she look like?" Luke asked. Lorelai gave him a small smile.

"She looks just like my mother did at her age," Lorelai said. "I remember Jessie having brown hair, but I could tell she dyed it black, obviously so show her angst. But she's so thin, the wears these baggy clothes but I know that she isn't eating much, probably because they can't afford it. And the makeup, oh my god, grunge is back and it's worse than the first time. This girl, I can barely get three words out of her."

"Well at least you don't have to deal with it anymore, right?" Luke asked. She looked up at him, somewhat sheepishly.

"Actually," she said.

"What?"

"Liz was having a tough time with Jessie. She was skipping class, mouthing off to teachers, she had her own table in the _Breakfast Club_ detention every Saturday."

"And?" Luke didn't like where this was going.

"I offered to take care of her for a while. Be a role model. Really show her that she's worth a good future," Lorelai said. "She's currently asleep on my couch."

"She's living here now? For how long?"

"Indefinitely, at least until she graduates next year," Lorelai said. Luke didn't know how to process all of this information.

"So, let me get this straight," Luke started. "You went to New York to forget about Chris, to get away, and to check up on your sister. You don't have contact with anyone back home, and then you show up a month later with a troubled teenage girl."

"Yes," Lorelai said. Luke rubbed his temples.

"It was a nice thing you did. It was a good idea," Luke said finally.

"What's with the pause, mister."

"I'm just trying to process all of this. Plus, some crazy lady made me get out of bed when I should have been asleep." Luke and yawned.

"At least you know I wasn't getting mugged," she said. Luke smiled at that.

"I'm glad you're home," Luke said earnestly. Lorelai felt bold, and rested her head on Luke's shoulder.

"I'm glad to be home," Lorelai said. They sat that like for a while, almost ten minutes had passed as they sat in silence, both adjusting to the fact that Lorelai was back, and the first thing she did was visit Luke. Now it was Lorelai's turn to yawn, and she accepted her body's hint for her to go home. They stood up and Lorelai stepped in for another hug, which Luke accepted with a smile. There was that familiar something they both missed. Maybe hugs will become more common.

"See you in the morning," Luke said as he pulled away.

"See you then," Lorelai said. Hopefully, things would progress between them, even with Jessie there.

* * *

The next morning, Luke and Roy left earlier than usual to go to the café. Roy, because he had to catch an earlier bus to meet up with Tristan and Paris, and Luke because he wanted to make sure Lorelai was really back home, not just a dream.

"I thought you hated Paris," Luke pointed out as they walked.

"I do. But she's the editor of the Franklin, and we need to put this dumb feud behind us," Roy said. Last year, Roy didn't make a good first impression. He bumped into Paris on his first day of school, knocking down a diorama she made over the summer for extra credit. Then they kept clashing during projects and events. Before summer vacation, Roy convinced Tristan to be his partner for a presentation, even though Paris had called dibs on Tristan without Roy knowing. When school started again, the three of them talked it out and the feud was over… hopefully.

"Well watch out for her, she seems pretty devious," Luke said. "Have you seen Maxine much?"

"No, actually," Roy said looking away. "Well…"

"What?" Luke asked.

"Well, I have to do this interview with the teacher voted the favorite from the previous year. And that was Maxine," Roy said.

"Did Paris give you the assignment?"

"Yes," Roy winced. Luke took a deep breath. Roy found out that Paris was the one who told the headmaster about Maxine's relationship with Luke, so out of principal Luke didn't like that girl.

"That girl… I swear either she really likes you or she really hates you," Luke shook his head, hoping it was neither. "When is the interview?"

"Tomorrow after school, so I'll be home late," Roy said.

"And why are you going in early this morning?"

"Tristan, Paris, and I have a mock-debate coming up for Ms. Darcey's government class, and apparently we need more preparation and strategy than the Trojan War."

"You've been in school for two weeks, how do you already have so much to do?"

"It was worst last year. I had the whole summer to prepare this time, last year I started the semester on time, but I was still behind," Roy pointed out.

"Well good luck to you," Luke said. They walked up to the door of the café, which was way busier than usual. There was barely room at the counter for the two.

"What gives?" Roy asked Miss Patty, who was sitting with Babette and Morey. "Why is it so busy?"

"Oh Honey, Lorelai is back!" She said loudly. Luke had told Roy about Lorelai's visit the night before, but they both acted surprised at the news.

"That's great," Roy said.

"But that's not all," Babette tried to whisper. "She's not alone."

"Who's with her?" Roy whispered back. Luke had told him about Lorelai's niece, but reserved his judgement to try to have Roy make his impression of Jessie.

"We don't know," Miss Patty huffed. "But earlier, we could hear her talking to someone up there. I think she found a man in New York."

"All the men in New York are either assholes, married, or gay," Lorelai jumped in, setting Babette and Morey's plates in front of them.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sugah, I don't mean to gossip. I was—" Babette started.

"You're just concerned, I know," Lorelai said. She walked away without giving more answers. Luke followed and sat at the last two stools of the counter.

"Morning," Luke said. Lorelai saw that he had shaved off his scruff this morning, and wondered if she was the reason why. When Luke shaved an hour earlier, she was definitely the reason.

"Morning, coffee?" Lorelai offered. They both paused for a moment, it being the first time in a month that she had asked him that.

"No, thanks," Luke smiled. "Tea please, and my usual."

"Can I have a hazelnut latte and a Danish to-go?" Roy ordered. Lorelai smiled at the boy and nodded.

"Roy to-go, Luke are you staying?" Lorelai asked. When Luke nodded, Lorelai smiled and got Roy's stuff ready before starting on Luke's. Soon Roy was about to leave when someone emerged from the curtain in front of the stairs. The whole room looked up, and half looked away disappointed, the other half kept interest in the teenage girl who was wearing old sweats and a baggy Nirvana t-shirt.

"Morning," Lorelai said brightly, trying too hard.

"Hmm," the girl hummed then said, "coffee." Luke looked between Lorelai and her niece They had the same face, and definitely the same eyes, so much so that Luke swore that Jessie was Lorelai's clone. The coffee comment didn't help things either.

"Sure thing, Roy's leaving so you can have his seat. Actually, I want to introduce you to two of my favorite customers. Jessie, this is Luke Gilmore and his son Roy, you two are the same age."

"Hi," Jessie said to Roy.

"Good morning," Roy said, polite as ever. "Excuse me, I gotta go." Roy walked around the counter and gave Lorelai a hug. "I'm glad you're back."

"Glad to be back kiddo," Lorelai said. She smiled as the boy walked away, and Luke patted Roy's back as he passed. Jessie plopped down next to Luke, and he got a better look at her. Dark makeup circled her eyes, and her hair was a mess, but she still looked like a regular teenager. Maybe she wouldn't be so bad.

"So, Jessie, this is Luke," Lorelai said as she set down his oatmeal, fruit, and tea.

"You said that already," Jessie said. "Oatmeal and tea? How old are you, 80?" Luke looked at Lorelai, not offended by amused.

"Your aunt used to ask me that all the time. She got used to it though," Luke said.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Lorelai asked, trying to wave off the patrons' eyes that still followed them.

"I'm good," Jessie said shortly, though she read the menu.

"So I didn't ask if you wanted breakfast, I asked what you wanted to eat. Even if it's small, you're eating something. Especially since we didn't eat anything last night."

"Fine. I'll have an Americano with two shots, then a piece of toast."

"Two shots?" Lorelai asked, more out of shock than clarification.

"Of espresso? My usual is four, but I thought I'd take it easy on you," Jessie said. Lorelai looked at Luke, whose eyes grew in amusement.

"Sure thing, I'll have that ready in a minute. Talk to Luke, he's great." And Lorelai left Luke and Jessie to chat.

"So, Jessie, are you going to go to school here?"

"Yeah," was all she said.

"Do you have a favorite subject?"

"Yup," she said again.

"What is it?"

"Lunch," Jessie said with a smirk that resembled Lorelai's.

"Roy's is English. He loves to read," Luke said. When Jessie's face fell straight, Luke continued awkwardly. "Yeah, that boy could read all day. And he still wouldn't make it through all of his books. His room is more of a library than a bedroom."

"Okay stop rambling," Lorelai said. She set down Jessie's Americano-with one shot, toast with Sokka's homemade strawberry jam, and a small bowl of fruit.

"I didn't ask for fruit," Jessie said. "Or jam."

"Oops, well it's already on the plate, so you might as well eat it. Wouldn't want to be wasteful," Lorelai said with her plastered smile, which was beginning to hurt. After finishing his meal, Luke got up to pay.

"Actually, I need your help with something before you go," Lorelai said. She led him to the storage room.

"Do you need help lifting a box or something?" Luke asked when they got in there. "You're usually pretty capable." Luke remembered a drunken arm wrestling bet that he lost.

"No, I don't really need your help," Lorelai said. "What do you think of Jessie?"

"She seems… okay," Luke said. "Nice enough?"

"Yeah, it's actually going better than I thought it would," Lorelai said. "And did you see the way she looked at Roy?" Luke hadn't.

"What do you mean?"

"I think she almost smiled. Maybe they could be friends, maybe his good influence will rub off on her," Lorelai thought out loud.

"Or maybe her bad influence will rub off on him," Luke said. Lorelai gave him a look before nodding.

"How about we avoid any rubbing," Lorelai said, and that was something Luke could agree with. "Well I just wanted to ask. And also, I wanted to thank you for last night."

"What about it?" Luke asked, not because he thought it to be insignificant, but to find out how she thought of it herself.

"Just seeing you, talking to you, it made me feel better," Lorelai smiled at him. Seeing him alone made her feel better, the talking made her feel wonderful.

"I never really asked, how are you feeling, Chris-wise?" Luke hesitated in asking.

"Honestly after the first week I haven't really thought about him specifically. More so the fact that I would have been engaged, but I wasn't."

"Well if it's any consolation, I think you're better off."

"You think?" Lorelai asked.

"I know," Luke clarified. There was a beat, another moment perhaps?

"Thanks," she smiled. Truthfully, she spent most of her time away thinking about Luke, thinking about if they could ever have a future together—more than friends.

"I gotta get to the inn," Luke said.

"Yeah," she said.

"One more thing?" Luke said in the doorway.

"Yeah?" Lorelai looked up expectantly.

"She looks just like you," Luke said. Lorelai smiled.

"We both look like my mom," she said, "it's just one more thing we have in common," she rolled her eyes. Luke shook his head, then they walked back out to the counter and he was about to pay when she refused.

"Lorelai," he said warningly. He hated it when she didn't let him pay.

"No, I didn't get to give Roy is usual first day of school breakfast, and you helped me out so it's on me," Lorelai said. When he still held out the money, she put her hand on his and pushed it toward him. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Luke said as she folded the bill back into his wallet. "See you later."

"See ya," Lorelai smiled as he walked away. It felt so good to see him again. She looked over at her niece who was looking back at her with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"You're so into him," Jessie said. Lorelai rolled her eyes, and against her wishes, Babette and Miss Patty heard her.

"Everyone knows that, Dear," Patty said.

"Everyone but Luke and Lorelai," Babette added.

"Don't listen to them," Lorelai told Jessie. "They get bored easily and make up things to keep them busy."

"Sure," Jessie said. "When do I go to school?"

"Tomorrow, I already called the principal and set everything up. You'll be behind, but you have an extra study hall in your schedule to get caught up."

"Lovely," Jessie said as she stood up, leaving half her food on her plate but the coffee was gone. "Then I'm going back to bed. Nice talking with you," she said to Babette and Miss Patty. Lorelai watched her niece as she walked upstairs, then her attention turned to the gossip queens.

"And you two," Lorelai said. "I thought I said that if you gossip about me and Luke, you we're going to get kicked out."

"Oh that was forever ago, I barely remember that," Miss Patty said. Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Just cease, please," Lorelai said.

"Of course, Hun," Babette said. Lorelai went back to work, but her mind was still in the clouds thinking about Luke.

* * *

Luke was working at the front desk that afternoon when he started talking to Sokka about Jessie.

"She seems like trouble," Luke said.

"Well think of how she was raised," Sokka said. "Her dad left a long time ago, her mom was almost as absent as him. This girl had to survive the mean streets of Queens by herself. I'm surprised she's not worse."

"I guess you have a point," Luke said. "Can I run an idea by you?"

"Regarding?"

"Lorelai," Luke said and Sokka grinned. "And Jessie."

"Oh," his face fell slightly. "Yeah, sure."

"What if I invite them over tomorrow night for dinner?"

"And you want me to cook," Sokka asked.

"Yeah, I mean you can join us too, bring Jackson," Luke offered. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, yeah that would work," Sokka said before rambling about the menu he would create.

"Sounds great," Luke said. "I'm going to call her and ask if tomorrow works." Luke walked out of the kitchen and to the front desk. Michelle was using the phone and was scheduling a stay, so Luke went into his office to call Lorelai.

"Latte Lorelai, if you got the dough, we got the joe," she greeted. Luke hesitated for a moment as he shook his head.

"Do you practice that before you answer the phone? Or does it just come to you?" Luke asked, and Lorelai smiled, always happy to hear from him.

"Obviously I have to plan the greetings in advance. I have a chalkboard upstairs that's filled with ideas, and the ones circled in red are my favorites," Lorelai said.

"I'll make sure to let the FBI know we have a psycho in town," Luke deadpanned.

"Better the FBI than Taylor," Lorelai pointed out.

"That's true," Luke said. When he didn't continue, Lorelai did.

"So is there a reason you called? Or did you just miss me too much," Lorelai said, hoping that was true.

"Well who wouldn't want to talk to you," Luke accidentally flirted, then quickly added, "I did have a question though."

"I'm ready, Regis," Lorelai grinned.

"Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night?" Luke asked. "You can bring Jessie, Sokka will cook, Roy will be there."

"To say, 'Hey, welcome to Stars Hollow and see, everyone here's not straight out of a Fellini film' kind of an evening," Lorelai said.

"Exactly," Luke agreed.

"Okay, that would be really nice, thank you," Lorelai said, more touched than she let on.

"Yeah, you're welcome, good," Luke said. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then," Lorelai smiled, and they hung up. Sure, it wasn't a date, but it was the closest thing to one.

* * *

She saw Luke the next morning during breakfast, and they decided to be over at 6:30 for dinner that night. Later, Sokka and Jackson were in Luke's kitchen making food, and fighting about the menu.

"Maybe I should make grilled cheese," Sokka thought.

"But you're already making pot roast," Jackson said.

"But not everybody likes pot roast," Sokka said.

"Well, then they can have the chicken wings, the mashed potatoes, the four different kinds of salad that you're making in addition to the pot roast," Jackson said to his boyfriend. Sokka smiled and sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed.

"Should start slicing the cheese?" Jackson offered.

"Would you? Oh, that'd be great," Sokka said. Luke stood back and watched the couple bicker, happy for both of them that they finally found each other.

"Oh, wow, something smells good," Luke said finally.

"It's the garlic," Sokka said proudly.

"Three heads of it," Jackson said, also proud.

"Nice," Luke said, not sure what else to add.

"We want everything to be perfect. We are going to make this kid think that she died and went to heaven."

"Or Henry VIII's house," Jackson grumbled, and Sokka hit him playfully with a spatula. Luke looked away from the cuteness and knocked on Roy's door.

"Hey kid," Luke said.

"Come in," Roy said, and Luke opened the door to see his son studying, surprising.

"You joining the festivities?" Luke asked. "If we start eating now, we'll finish in time for Thanksgiving."

"One sec, I have to finish typing up my interview," Roy said. Luke remembered that Roy had interviewed Maxine that day.

"Alright, well they should be here soon," Luke said just as the doorbell rang. "It's scary how that happens," Luke said to himself then walked to the door. He heard a consistent knocking and rolled his eyes. "I'm coming!" He yelled. He reached the front door, and opened it to see Lorelai and Jessie, both were wearing nicer clothes than usual. Lorelai in a nice sweater and Jessie in jeans—a step up from the sweatpants from yesterday.

"Hey, perfect timing. Sokka's about to break his own record for the most food served outside the Roman Empire," Luke deadpanned. Lorelai handed him a bottle of wine.

"For the host," she said.

"Thanks," he smiled. "You look nice."

"I do my best," Lorelai said. They laughed lightly as Jessie rolled her eyes.

"So, to the kitchen," Luke said and led the way. "We're having pot roast."

"That sounds great," Lorelai looked at her niece. "Sokka is the best cook in the county, country even."

"Terrific," Jessie managed to produce three syllables. She walked to the living room and Lorelai held Luke back a step.

"Sorry we're a little late. We had a little misunderstanding about what time we're actually supposed to leave to come here."

"Oh that's okay. How's it going?"

"Um, well, not bad. She has a bed now."

"That's an improvement. That couch can't be comfortable."

"It wasn't."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I let her take the real bed, I felt bad."

"Well, that was very nice of you," Luke said, feeling bad that she couldn't enjoy the bed that he had enjoyed in that dream. They walked into the kitchen.

"Sokka, Jackson, I want you to meet Lorelai's niece. This is Jessie."

"Do you eat cheese?" Sokka asked right away, throwing Jessie off her game momentarily.

"What?" She said, but Jackson did his best to distract Sokka.

"Oh my God, this is the greatest lemon I have ever grown. I mean, this is a great lemon. Sokka, you gotta try this lemon. Isn't it a great lemon?" Jackson handed him a lemon. Luke and Lorelai exchanged an amused look.

"That is a great lemon!" Sokka said excitedly, then handed out a slice to Jessie. "Try it, it's a Meyer."

"Jackson grows fruit and then scares people with it," Luke explained to Jessie. "Roy, they're here," he called behind him.

"Coming," he called back. Roy closed out his paper and turned around to see Jessie standing in his doorway. "Hey."

"Hey," she said back, suddenly not as broody.

"I'm Roy," he said. Jessie smirked at him.

"Yeah, we met yesterday, sort-of."

"Oh yeah, well, it's nice to meet you," he said. Luke overheard, and was proud of his son's politeness before he had to help put out a small fire on Sokka's sleeve. Jessie looked around Roy's room, realizing that Luke wasn't lying, it really was a library.

"Wow, aren't we hooked on phonics," she said as she walked over to the shelves.

"Oh, yeah, I read a lot. Lorelai actually build a shelf for me a couple years ago because I had too many books and not enough space. Do you read?" Roy asked.

"Not much," she said as she picked a random book off the shelf and looked at it with some interest.

"I could loan you that if you want. It's a great book," Roy offered. "Or any of these books, I don't mind sharing."

"No thanks," she said as she put it down, uninterested once again.

"Well, if you change your mind…" Roy started when Lorelai appeared in the doorway again.

"Okay, we really need to get Jackson away from the lemons now, so we're moving the feast in the living room," she said with a smile. Jessie hated how perky her aunt was sometimes.

"We'll be right there," Roy assured her, and Lorelai went to help the adults move the food. He turned back to Jessie who was touching the windows.

"So, do these open?"

"Um yeah, you just have to unlatch them and then push," Roy said, wondering if Jessie ever had windows that opened before. He watched as she fiddled with the latch and managed to get the window open.

"Great. Shall we?" She motioned to the window.

"Shall we what?"

"Bail," Jessie said like it was obvious.

"No," Roy was almost insulted.

"Why?" Jessie replied in the same insulted manner,

"Because it's Wednesday night in Stars Hollow. There's nowhere to bail to. The 24-hour mini-mart just closed twenty minutes ago."

"So we'll walk around or sit on a bench and stare at our shoes," she said. This was the only way she knew how to behave, really.

"Look, Sokka just made a ton of really great food, and I'm starving and though it may not seem like it right at this moment, it's going be fun. Trust me," Roy said convincingly.

"I don't even know you," Jessie scoffed. "How can I trust you?"

"Well, don't I look trustworthy?" Roy asked. Jessie looked him up and down. The kid was wearing nice jeans and a Foo-Fighters shirt, which was actually one of her favorite bands.

"Maybe."

"Okay, good. Let's eat," he stood up and walked into the kitchen, Jessie following. "Do you want a soda?"

"Oh, I'll get it," Jessie offered.

"Cool," Roy said, grabbing his own soda then walked to the living room. Jessie walked to the fridge and examined its contents. She saw two remaining ginger-ales, but behind them were almost a dozen bottles of beer. She picked up a bottle and slid out the back door. Luke watched this disappearing act, and followed her.

On the back porch, Luke found Jessie using the railing as a bottle opener. Before she could take a sip, Luke snatched the bottle from her.

"Oh, for me, hey, thanks," he said sarcastically and took a sip. "Refreshing. So, are you not hungry?"

"Not really," Jessie looked away, embarrassed she was caught.

"Well along with the excessive food, Sokka made you some grilled cheese if you don't like pot roast."

"Oh, well, if I'd had known that…" Jessie rolled her eyes and mumbled.

"Let me guess, you don't want to be here?" Luke pretended to wonder.

"It doesn't matter," Jessie shrugged.

"It doesn't?"

"Well geez, Mr. Gilmore, why would anyone not want to be here in Stars Hollow? That just sounds plum crazy," she snapped.

"Jessie, let me give you a little advice. The whole 'my parents don't get me' thing, I've been there," Luke said honestly.

"You have, huh?" Jessie didn't believe him.

"Yes, I have. I've also done the 'chip on my shoulder' bit. Ooh, and the surly, sarcastic, 'the world can bite my ass' bit, and let me tell you, I mastered them all as a teenager, with a baby too. And everything you're feeling might be totally justified, maybe you are getting screwed, Lorelai said.

"No shit," Jessie mumbled.

"But Lorelai is a great person. She's very special, and she really wants to take care of you and make things right for you. You're incredibly lucky to have her. If you give this situation half a chance, you might be surprised at how good it can be, how much you like living here."

"So how long?" Jessie asked with a growing smirk.

"What?"

"How long have you been screwing her?" Jessie asked, catching Luke completely off guard.

"Excuse me?" Luke was astonished.

"I don't know. The whole starry eyed 'you're so much better off, just give it a chance' speech. You're either really stupid, or you're getting some," Jessie said. Luke had never heard a kid talk to him like that before.

"Hey, you know what, this is my house, and I choose how I get talked to in it," Luke said.

"You know, you don't know anything about me, or my life, or my mom, or Lorelai, so why don't you Doctor Phil someone else." Luke took a deep breath.

"I'm going inside, stay out of my fridge," he said. He was surprised when Jessie followed him into the living room like nothing happened. The dinner was awkward, but Lorelai felt good about how well Jessie and Roy were getting along.

* * *

After they finished, the kids were on dish duty as Luke and Lorelai cleaned up the living room. Jessie didn't eat much, but she tried a bit of everything, which Sokka appreciated.

"So where did you disappear to before dinner started?" Lorelai asked.

"I was catching Jessie on my back porch with a beer," Luke said. Lorelai froze.

"What? I don't believe it," Lorelai huffed at the bowl of potatoes.

"Lorelai, I'm sorry. That kid is way worse than you think she is," Luke said. Lorelai looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Her mama-bear instincts kicked in.

"I catch her outside with a beer, I don't even bust her on it, I just…I try talking to her—" Luke said, and Lorelai cut him off.

"What do you mean, talk to her? What did you say?" She didn't want Luke ruining anything.

"I said she's got a good thing going here with you and she shouldn't blow it, and then, well, then she just got charming," Luke ranted.

"What are you doing talking to her about stuff like that?" Lorelai asked, directing her anger at Luke instead of Jessie, the one she was actually upset with.

"Look I'm just trying to help you," Luke said. Lorelai was about to say she didn't need his help, that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and her niece. But the look in his eyes told her that he really was just trying to help. She sighed and looked at the ground.

"I don't want to screw this up," Lorelai said. "I want to do right by her."

"I know you do," Luke said. When Lorelai didn't look up, Luke stepped forward and held his friend in his arms. The embrace reminded him of the dream he had days earlier. Dream Luke loved holding Dream Lorelai in his arms, and reality wasn't much different. "She is lucky to have someone who cares so much about her."

"Thanks," she said. She was still surprised by the contact. But she realized then again how much she missed him. Being away for so long, she didn't want to get mad and have a fight and be away longer. She pulled away and they started cleaning like nothing happened.

Little did they know, Jessie and Roy had been watching from the kitchen. They didn't hear everything, but they heard what Lorelai said and they saw the hug

"She does care about you, you know," Roy said.

"Yeah, well, that won't last long," Jessie said, doing her best to believe herself. "They make a cute couple." At that, Roy almost laughed.

"Yeah, everybody knows it besides them."

"So they really aren't together?"

"No, but they should be," Roy grumbled. Before Jessie could respond with a (probably) sarcastic comment, they walked into the living room to help clear more dishes.

* * *

After a week, Jessie wasn't adjusting well. Two days after the dinner, Taylor called Lorelai, accused Jessie of stealing some money out of a little donation cup to help repair the bridge. Then Babette asked everyone in the café if they had seen Pierpont, one of her gnomes.

By that, she got detention for mouthing off in class. Lorelai, who had been in a meeting at the bank when she got the call about Jessie skipping the after-school detention. By then, Lorelai was completely furious.

She marched home, and opened the door to their apartment. And on the new bed sat Jessie, who was smoking a cigarette and playing cards.

"What the hell?" Lorelai asked, about the detention, the smoking, and the whole situation in general.

"It's called solitaire, never heard of it?" Jessie asked. Lorelai just watched her niece, not even sure where to begin. She spent an hour trying to get any sort of information or story out of Jessie, but nothing worked. Roy ended up walking out of the apartment with a book in hand. Lorelai stood there in her failure before leaving to get some help.

* * *

"Luke," she sighed as her friend entered the café that night. It was after closing, but Lorelai kept the door unlocked in case Luke decided to revive their long-forgotten tradition of late night talks. Thankfully, he did.

"Hey," he said, then noticed her less than bubbly body language.

"I need your help," Lorelai said. "Coffee?" She offered. He shook his head and asked for tea.

"What do you need help with?" Luke asked as he sipped the hot tea, which tasted better than ever.

"Jessie is… she's going to be more trouble than I thought," Lorelai said. "Now I don't want to hear I told you so. I already know, okay?" Lorelai went over everything that had occurred that afternoon, and Luke was listening intently.

"Where is she now?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, she just walked out," Lorelai said.

"Did you ask where she was going?"

"No, I think the best way is to give her space, let her do who own thing," Lorelai said. Luke winced. "What?"

"It seems like all she's ever had is space. She's never had any sort of regulation or discipline. I think she needs structure, not freedom," Luke said. "I saw it a lot with my friends growing up. Their parents just gave them a credit card and a nanny and a driver. Their parents weren't active in their lives, and they all turned to drugs or crime, or just being an asshole. I don't want that to happen to Jessie."

"Neither do I," Lorelai said. It meant a lot to Lorelai for Luke to care so much about her niece.

"So, maybe implement a curfew, give her chores. You always need help down here, have her bus tables and pour coffee," Luke said. "She's been ignored for so long, she needs to know that you actually care." Lorelai nodded in agreement.

"Those are good ideas," she said. "Thanks for your help."

"Yeah, well if I don't who will?" Luke asked with a smirk. Lorelai rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a light shove.

"So how was your day?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh god where do I begin?" Luke asked. "First, Michelle decides she's allergic to milk. So when Sokka made the cream of mushroom soup, you would not believe the arguing!" Luke said, and he went on about the crazy yet mundane day at the in. It was just like old times, before Jessie, before Christopher, before that summer. Lorelai hoped they would be on the same page again.

* * *

The next day, Coach Marshall was going around the town, putting up fliers about a bag of baseballs that had been taken from her supply closet. When she came into the café with the flier, Lorelai got the impression that Jessie was on the short list of suspects. Coach didn't say it directly, but Lorelai knew what she was thinking.

Lorelai waited outside the high school for Jessie to come out. When Jessie saw her aunt, she tried to change course directions to avoid her. They ended up walking to the wooded area behind the school, a shortcut to Luke's actually.

"Hey," Lorelai greeted. Jessie rolled her eyes but kept walking. "How was school?"

"Great," Jessie said shortly.

"You learn anything good?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh yeah, tons of things. I've got gold stars plastered all over my forehead," Jessie said sarcastically.

"I had an interesting conversation today. Wanna know who it was with?"

"Are you going to tell me anyway?"

"It was with Coach Lydia Marshall. You know her, right? She's your P.E. teacher and the athletic director."

"Thanks for the bio."

"Well she came to the café today, and asked me to put up some fliers. Apparently, someone stole a large bag of baseballs."

"And she said I took them?"

"Not explicitly, but it was implied. I told her I would put up the fliers and talk to you about it. Then I told her that you wouldn't do that, that you weren't a thief. But then I got to thinking about if maybe any of the things she said were true."

"What do you think?"

"I think that if you tell me that what she's saying is not true, then I'm going to believe it's not true," Lorelai said.

"Okay, it's not true," Jessie said, but she looked away as she spoke.

"That doesn't sound very convincing," Lorelai said. Jessie stopped before they got to the bridge.

"Look, what exactly do you want from me? You bring me here to this place, you put me in a school that says the Pledge of Allegiance in six different languages, two of which I've never heard of before. You take me away from my home, my friends, and now you want what from me?"

"I'm trying to help you," Lorelai said.

"Well, stop trying. Stop talking to me, stop following me, and stop asking me questions. Just stop!" Jessie said then stormed off. Lorelai huffed, upset that she couldn't get through to her niece. She followed her path to Luke's house, where he was just getting back from work. She explained everything, and they came up with a plan. First stop, the pharmacy.

* * *

Lorelai got back to the apartment and saw Jessie smoking on her bed and reading a book. Lorelai walked over to her and opened the plastic bag she held.

"Okay," Lorelai started pulling things out of the bag. "We got the patch, the gum, hypnosis tapes, Chinese herbs, self-help books, and several pictures of diseased lungs to hang on the fridge. Pretty, huh?" Lorelai threw all of the things on the bed, then reached over and pulled the cigarette out of Jessie's mouth. "This is done."

"Hey!" Jessie yelled. Lorelai doused the cigarette in the sink and threw it in the trash.

"You also have a doctor's appointment on Monday. There you will get a full evaluation because I know under those baggy clothes, you don't eat at all and you need to get healthy. You will also get birth control."

"So now I'm an anorexic slut?" Jessie yelled.

"I just want you to be healthy and safe. Plus, getting pregnant isn't part of our plan, now is it?"

"What plan?"

"Thank you for asking. This is it: You will get up, you will go to school, you will come home, you will work in the diner until closing, you will do your homework and then you will go to bed," she ordered from the kitchen. "Where're the baseballs and the gnome?"

"The what?" Jessie asked, still in shock about what was happening. Lorelai searched the closets as she spoke.

"The weekends are for chores and selected pre-approved outings, i.e. cavalla studies, freeway beautification projects, Color Me Mine pottery painting, all options can be discussed." She opened a closet behind the fridge and pulled out the gnome and the baseball sack. "You will not steal, you will return the balls, you will pay back Taylor Doose, you will graduate for high school, and you will return Pierpont to his yard."

"You can't just…" Jessie started, but Lorelai squatted in front of her.

"I can just. I am not letting you just fall off the face of the earth. You will not drift, I will not let it happen. Now I don't know if this is the right way to handle this, but this is the way it's being handled, and that my friend, is the end of this discussion," Lorelai said. There was a beat of silence before Jessie stood up, grabbing her jacket and a book.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked.

"Out," Jessie called behind her. She wasn't used to all of the attention, all of the rules and restrictions. The weird thing was that she almost liked it. She left Lorelai looking at the now-empty bed.

"Well, at least I asked," Lorelai said. Then she started making a list of goals, chores, and rewards. If Jessie was going to act like a child, she would be treated like one.

* * *

Jessie stormed out of the café's back door, then walked down the square. There she saw Roy coming out of the convenience store with a plastic bag, probably full of supplies for some dumb project. Jessie walked over to him.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey yourself," Roy replied. Dawn had been telling him about all of the things Jessie had been up to at school. He knew Jessie stole the gnome and the balls, and Dawn was even working when Jessie stole the money from the fundraising cup.

"What are you doing out here?" Jessie asked.

"I needed something for school. What about you?"

"Just needed some air, that apartment is smaller than it looks," Jessie said.

"That dinner the other night went… fine," Roy said.

"Yeah, well, potlucks and Tupperware parties aren't really my thing," Jessie shrugged.

"Too cool for school, huh? Is that why you pulled the short-lived disappearing act?" Roy asked. Luke had told him about Jessie stealing the beer.

"Yeah well, I get claustrophobic," she said, then pulled a coin out of her pocket. In Queens, she would do street magic for extra cash. Now fiddling and flipping the coin was a nervous habit.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked, noticing the coin.

"Oh this? Nothing," Jessie said. They stopped walking and Jessie flipped the coin around her fingers, then opened her palm to show it was gone. "Just another little disappearing act."

"Want a little tip?" Roy said.

"Sure."

"If you ever want to speak to me again, do not pull that out of my ear," Roy said with a small smile.

"So I assume the nose is off limits too?"

"Pretty much any orifice you wouldn't naturally find a coin, let's leave it at that," Roy said.

"So what are you going to do for the rest of the night?" Jessie asked, hoping she'd get company.

"I have some homework to finish. Hence the supplies," Roy lifted up the bag.

"Okay, then I'll leave you with this last little trick," Jessie said. She put one hand up, then with the other she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a book.

"You bought a copy? I told you I'd lend you mine," Roy said, unable to suppress the smile.

"It is yours," Jessie said sort of sheepishly.

"You stole my book?"

"I borrowed it," Jessie said.

"Okay, that's not a trick, that's a felony," Roy said.

"I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you," Jessie said. Roy gave her a look and opened the book.

"What?" Roy flipped through it. "You've read this before."

"About forty times," Jessie shrugged.

"I thought you said you didn't read much."

"Well, what is much?" Jessie shrugged. "You got a girlfriend?" Roy was taken back by the question.

"Yeah, we've been going out for about a year-ish. Why?" Roy said. Jessie shrugged.

"Just wondering, we should all hang out sometime," Jessie said, knowing she would need some friends to get through this stupid town.

"Alright I'll ask her," Roy said skeptically.

"Alright, good," Jessie said. "Goodnight Dodger."

"Dodger?" Roy questioned.

"Figure it out," Jessie smiled. Roy thought for a moment.

"Oliver Twist," he said, and Jessie smiled at him. "Goodnight." As they walked away, they knew a friendship was being born right then. _Maybe this town isn't too bad after all,_ Jessie thought.

* * *

 **What did you think of Jessie? Will she and Roy get together? Will the car accident take place again? Will Dawn hate her? Let me know what you think! I've got it planned out, but hey, it only takes one review to inspire me to change my mind.**

 **As always,** ** ** **if you have any specific moments you want me to gender swap, suggestions, requests, ideas, etc., let me know by leaving a review!** Thank you to all who do review, it makes my day, and I really do take your ideas into consideration.****


	10. November: Basket Case

**Has it really been three months since I've updated? How does that even happen? I'm sorry for the extremely late update. After returning to the States, and the holidays, and work and then second semester starting, and my birthday, and personal shit, I completely lost track of time. But now I'm back with a new chapter, I hope you like it!  
**

 **I know that the Bid-a-Basket even happened in February in the series, bit it makes more sense for my story to have it in November, you know, when it wouldn't be freezing.**

* * *

 **November: Basket Case**

Every year, the Stars Hallow Fundraising Committee hosts the Bid-a-Basket auction on the second Saturday of November. The men of the town would make picnic baskets and the women would but them. In 2002, the auction proceeds were going to the Stars Hollow Retirement Home. Luke, as with every town tradition, never participated. Roy didn't have a reason to either until he dated Dawn, so this was the second year he participated.

The day before, Luke and Roy were talking about Roy's basket at the café.

"Lorelai, can you make me some cookies to put in the basket?" Roy asked. Lorelai smiled sweetly and shook her head.

"No can do, kid," she said.

"Why not?" He asked, more curious than whiny.

"Because that isn't the point of the tradition," Lorelai said. She looked completely at Luke to see how he'd react. And as expected, Luke rolled his eyes.

"There is no point to this thing," Luke started. "The only reason this thing exists is because some guys—decades ago—decided that they needed to have picnics in November, which makes no sense because it's almost freezing."

"Roy, do you want to hear the story?" Lorelai said, ignoring Luke.

"Yes please," he said. Lorelai filled his cup with more coffee, then set the pot down and leaned against the counter.

"This tradition started off after World War II. It was a time of happiness and glee. But in the conservative town of Stars Hollow, there were social structures that prevented the soldiers to mingle with the ladies of proper age, and there was a record-low marriage rate that year. The councilmen were making decisions about the fundraising plans they have in the town, and decided to have a picnic festival. People would pay a couple dollars to sit in the square and listen to music," Lorelai said, remembering the stories she was told in elementary school.

"Ugh," Luke groaned, but Roy nudged him to be quiet.

"But when Daisy Roger, the wife of the head councilman, noticed that her son hadn't met a nice girl, she asked her husband to lighten the courting rules a little bit. they decided to change it up and have women bid on baskets. Back then, one man out of every household had to provide a basket for bidding. If a family had a son younger than 16, the father would do it. Older than 16, then the father or son could. Then women over the age of 16 could bid on the baskets."

"That good-old age of consent," Luke groaned. That was another reason he and Rachel decided to have sex so young: Just because they could.

"So ever since, the town has the Bid-a-Basket twice a year," Lorelai concluded. "Once in the Fall, and once in the Spring when the ladies put their baskets in."

"How many times have you bid?" Roy asked.

"I've bid every year I could. I always bid on Sokka's and I always get it. Except for this year when Jackson will get it," Lorelai said. She omitted that Chris would bid on hers unless they were broken up.

"You're the biggest basket case of them all, then, huh?" Luke asked. Lorelai laughed at his pun.

"Yeah, you could say that," Lorelai shrugged. She looked at the time and reminded the boys that Doose's was closing early in preparation for the auction.

"Yeah we still haven't gotten the basket," Roy said. They gathered their things and headed out.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Lorelai said as they left.

"See ya," Luke said. There was a brief moment of eye contact between the two before the guys made their exit. Lorelai didn't knew what it meant, but she was forever hopeful.

"You should bid on his basket," Jessie said from behind Lorelai. The last couple months have been much better for Jessie. grades were decent, and she would hang out with Roy and Dawn a couple times a week.

"He doesn't have a basket," Lorelai said.

"But if he did, would you?"

"Yeah right, do you know what would be in the basket?" Lorelai asked, deflecting the real reason. She knew that neither of the Gilmore guys had any sort of cooking skills, and even if Luke put a basket in, it would have leftovers or a bag of carrots it it, nothing else.

"Um no?"

"Exactly," Lorelai said. "If you knew, you would understand why I wouldn't be bidding on his basket."

"Uh huh, sure," Jessie rolled her eyes. "Can I get two pancakes please?"

"Sure thing," Lorelai was more than happy to make Jessie as much food as she wanted.

* * *

"How about this one?" Roy asked, holding up a large wicker basket. They had been in Doose's for five minutes and Luke was already sick of it.

"No, it's too big. It raises expectations," Luke said.

"Like there's actually a home-cooked lunch in there, instead of whatever is leftover in our refrigerator?" Roy said. Luke nodded and Roy put the large basket down.

"Exactly, keep looking," Luke said. "I don't know why, though. This whole this is ridiculous. You realize this is like a cattle auction, right? You are a literal piece of meat being ogled and bought."

"I think it's fun," Roy said smugly.

"That's because you have a pretty girl to bid on your basket," Luke rolled his eyes.

"Yes I do. And yes, she's fully aware that she should eat lunch before the bidding," Roy said. "And I still need a basket."

"I'll look up front, you take the back," Luke said.

"Divide and conquer, I like it," Roy said. Roy turned and started walking to the back where Dawn was stocking shelves. Luke made his way to the front and saw Miss Patty digging in her purse.

"Hey Patty. Scouting out the shoppers?"

"Well, I'm getting that itch again."

"Oh no, Patty, you don't actually need another husband," Luke said.

"Well, need a husband: no. But want: that's a different story. Listen darling, do you happen to have change for a dollar?" Miss Patty asked.

"I think so," Luke said as he fished in his pockets.

"I don't know where my quarters go," Miss Patty said.

"Down some guy's g-string, I would expect," Luke deadpanned.

"Oh no, honey, a quarter would be insulting," Miss Patty said just as Luke found four quarters in his jeans.

"Here you go," he said. He handed over the change, and Patty flung her hand out of the purse, catapulting a piece of paper out with it. "I got it," Luke said as he bent down to get it. He looked at the piece of paper and saw that it was a picture of him. Puzzled, he looked at Patty.

"Oh," was all Patty could say.

"This is a picture of me," Luke said in confusion.

"It is?" Miss Patty feigned innocence, but Luke knew better.

"Yeah. Why do you have a picture of me in your wallet?" Luke asked. Miss Patty looked flustered, and she scrambled to think of a lie.

"Um, I'm a stalker?" She gave a cutesy smile, trying to get him to give up. It didn't work.

"Yes I know, but why else?" Luke said.

"I'm in love with you?" She said. Luke sighed.

"Yes I know, but why else?" Luke asked again. Miss Patty was about to come up with another lie, but gave up with a dramatic sigh.

"Well, if, in my daily travels, I run across a nice single girl..." Patty trailed off as Luke's face reddened.

"Oh my God," Luke shook his head.

"I just like to have a visual aid to help me with the wonderful buildup I give you."

"Patty, I appreciate the gesture, but I don't need you to try to set me up."

"You're such a handsome man and you deserve a nice girl."

"I'll get a nice girl, but let me find her, okay?" Luke said, wanting to put an end to his match-making once and for all.

"But you're no good at finding her."

"Patty," Luke warned but she didn't back down.

"Would you at least put a basket in the auction?"

"What? Are you crazy? Why would I do that?"

"I'd say for the sake of tradition, but after your sour attitude in the café, I don't think that card will work."

"I wasn't being sour," Luke denied, then looked over. "Was I?" He didn't want people, Lorelai, to think he was sour.

"It sure seemed like it to me. But you know how much Lorelai likes tradition, maybe she'll buy your basket," Miss Patty winked.

"I'm not making a basket," Luke said.

"Come on, what if I don't get anyone? Could you make just in case? For me? I promise not to make you my next husband," Patty said. Luke looked over at his son, who was talking with his girlfriend.

"Fine, _only_ if you stop showing my picture to random women," Luke said.

"It's a deal," Patty shook her hand.

"Thank you. I'll keep this if you don't mind." And with that, Luke walked away with his picture. Little did he know that he only took one of several pictures Miss Patty has acquired over the years.

"Stubborn boy," Patty said before leaving the market.

Meanwhile, in the back of the store, Roy had found Dawn. That talked for a minute before the coast was clear of Taylor's eagle eye, then they kissed. A few seconds later, they heard a shuffling behind them.

"Sorry to intrude," Jessie said honestly, yet still with a smirk like her aunt's.

"Oh yeah, no worries," Dawn said with a small smile. "What's up?" Thankfully, the girls have gotten along. It was a bit awkward at first, but they were becoming fast friends, along with Roy.

"Well, you're having your vertical _From Here to Eternity_ moment right in front of the super glue," Jessie shrugged.

"Here's your glue," Dawn handed the pack over to Jessie.

"Thank you, I'll tell Doose that your customer service skills are impeccable. Carry on," Jessie said then left.

"I really like that girl," Dawn said, shifting to lean against Roy. "I mean at first I didn't think I would, but she seems much… more normal than when she first came here. I mean she's still weird, but nice."

"Yeah," Roy said, agreeing completely. "You should probably be getting back to work."

"Yeah you're probably right," Dawn smiled. "Are still on for tonight?" Dawn asked.

"Sure thing, I'll pick you up at 7:00," Roy said. He kissed her again before she went to help at the register. Roy turned around to the baskets and almost ran into Jessie.

"Sorry. Two for one sale," Jessie said, slowly reaching around him to grab another package.

"Find anything?" Luke walked over to the teens. "Hey Jessie."

"Hey, Mr. Luke, looking good today," Jessie said. "Blue is definitely your color, and don't let anyone tell you differently. See you later," she said, then walked away.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked his son.

"Not a clue." Roy said. Luke gave him a look. "Really, I have no idea, I promise."

"Alright. Let's get this one, it's small," Luke said. He looked around, then grabbed a second one just like it, but with a blue bow instead of pink.

"Dad?"

"Don't say a word," Luke grumbled. Roy tried to suppress a smirk, but failed.

* * *

The next day, the auction was in full swing. Luke and Roy got there early to put their baskets on the table in the gazebo. Luke received strange looks and comments from several people, but chose to ignore them. He was only doing this for Miss Patty. But there was a kink in the plan, as on the first basket, Miss Patty won the bid. She got Kirk's basket, and gave Luke a wink when she walked off the stage.

"Unbelievable," Luke mumbled. The bidding continued until they got to Roy's basket.

"Now this one might not look like much…" Taylor started.

"Mine," Roy said excitedly.

"Fully aware," Luke said dully, not wanting to encourage the crazy.

"But remember people: Good things come in small packages," Taylor said. _Dirty_ , Luke thought. Then he rolled his eyes at Lorelai penetrated his thoughts once again.

"How badly does he want to be hosting a game show?" Roy asked.

"I think he can taste it," Luke mumbled. Roy snickered.

"Let's start the bidding at three dollars," Taylor said.

"Five dollars," Dawn said from across the lawn.

"Five dollars, do I hear ten dollars?" Taylor asked. From the back, another girl spoke.

"Ten dollars," Jessie said. Roy turned around and gave her a confused look. He looked over at Dawn and she was equally confused.

"Okay, I have ten dollars. Do I have fifteen?" Taylor said. The bidding increased at high as $50 before Jessie won the basket.

"Dad?" Roy looked to his dad for help. Both Gilmore men were confused about what was happening around them.

"Hold on. I'm trying to think, uh, in what scenario this situation could be construed as positive."

"And?"

"Well, no blood shed yet," Luke shrugged. He really had no idea how to help Roy deal with this.

"I better go talk to Dawn," Roy said, leaving to do damage control. Luke watched his son deal with the two girls, thinking himself lucky he didn't have to deal with people fighting over him. Little did he know what Miss Patty had in store for him.

The bidding continued. When Jackson bid on Sokka's basket, he became the first man to bid on basket in 10 years. That earned them a free bottle of wine from the market. Luke looked over, seeing Dawn walking away angrily and Roy not following. Before he could go over there and tell his son to go after the girl, Luke's basket was up for bid.

"Well this looks like another Doose's market basket. Nice, huh?" Taylor said. "I'd like to start the bidding at three dollars."

"I bid ten dollars," one woman said quickly.

"Fifteen dollars," said a second woman. He had never seen those women before.

"Do they know that all that's in there is two stale Pop Tarts and a Slim Jim?" Luke said to Sokka who shrugged, occupied with his boyfriend. As the bidding continued, Luke realized that Miss Patty was eyeing him, looking smug. As a third, unfamiliar woman bid $20, Luke walked over to Patty.

"Those are the women, aren't they?" Luke accused.

"Excuse me?" Patty was a good actress, but not good enough.

"The women who you've shown my picture! You brought them here, you're setting me up!" Luke rightfully accused.

"Well darling, you can't be trusted to do it yourself."

"Oh Christ…" he muttered, internally freaking out. After Maxine, he hadn't really thought about dating anyone. Sure, there was a cute woman in his business class, but that wasn't anything serious.

So Luke did the first thing that popped into his head and looked around for Lorelai. Usually she'd pick Sokka's basket, but since he was spoken for, Lorelai was nowhere to be seen. HE almost wished she was there, waiting to bid on his basket. He felt down for a moment before realizing that he never told her he had put a basket in. Without realizing it, Luke was already running over to the café.

"Lorelai!" He yelled as soon as he burst through the doors. Everyone in the café stopped and looked at him and his out of character exclamation. "Well? Where is she?" Luke asked the patrons. "I need her! Cassy, where is—" Luke stopped as Lorelai came out from the kitchen with two plates.

"Luke?" She asked. "What the hell is going on? I could hear you over the fan back there."

"Thank God. Lorelai, you gotta come with me," Luke followed her to the table, and helping her serve out the plates.

"Why and where?" She was confused, but willing to help with whatever he was talking about.

"You gotta come out there with me," Luke pleaded.

"Out where?" Lorelai repeated, still having no idea what was going on.

"The auction. Patty gave my picture out to all these women because she thinks I need one."

"Well she's not wrong," Lorelai said, having getting the _Luke is great_ speech nearly every day.

"You have to come out and bid on my basket."

"Wait, are you serious? You, Mr. Anti-Tradition, you have a basket in the auction? Mr. _I have never in my life taken part in one of these crazy group flip outs and I not about to start now_ has a basket?" She asked.

"Yes, can you hurry it up?" Luke asked.

"We're swamped here, that's why I'm working and not bidding," Lorelai looked around.

"Do you want me to beg? Cuz I might, but you have to buy it," he offered. Lorelai smiled up at her desperate friend.

"Okay," she said.

"Really, it'll take five minutes and you don't have to eat it," Luke kept asking. Lorelai walked to the door.

"Let's go," Lorelai said as she grabbed her coat.

"You're awesome," Luke said with a bright smile as he gently pushed her outside. They got back to the auction and the three women had gotten closer, and so had the bidding. The offers were getting upped by quarters when Luke and Lorelai walked up.

"Forty-seven," the third woman said.

"Forty-seven dollars, are you kidding? For what? Two stale Pop Tarts and a Slim Jim?" Lorelai asked. Luke was silently pleased that she knew him so well.

"Okay, you're not getting the whole saving me here thing, are you?" Luke groaned.

"Fine," she smirked at Luke then turned to Taylor. "Forty-eight!" The women turned around, and kept bidding. A few minutes later, Lorelai ended up winning the basket by outbidding the others by going over the $50 limit.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the basket bidding for today. Victors come claim your prizes and your dates. Let the lunching begin!" Taylor announced.

"You rock," Luke said as Lorelai retrieved the basket.

"I know," Lorelai said. "You're welcome."

"So what do we do now?" Luke asked.

"We eat," Lorelai said, peering into the basket. "Just kidding. Wow, it actually is just Pop Tarts and a Slim Jim. I'll be right back," Lorelai said.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked.

"I'm going to the café," Lorelai said.

"Why?" He asked. Even though he had explained that she would only be needed for five minutes, he realized that he truly wanted her company.

"To get us some edible food. I'll bring it back here for us to eat."

"That is so not the point of today. I made this. I am insulted. I might just pout," Luke deadpanned.

"I'll bring back those oatmeal cookies you like," Lorelai said.

"Pouting has ceased," Luke said with a genuine smile.

* * *

"Where do you wanna eat?" Jessie asked as the crowd dispersed.

"Don't care," Roy said shortly. He had spent so much energy convincing Dawn that Jessie was just a friend, and he felt like a liar now. He wanted to go after Dawn, but he knew they needed time to process.

"Okay," Jessie said as she started walking towards the back of the school.

"Where are you going?" Roy asked. Jessie was quicker than he anticipated, and he had to jog to catch up with her,

"Thought you didn't care," she said as he met her. They walked for a couple of minutes before Roy spotted the water.

"I'm not jumping in the lake," Roy said.

"Awe, man, really? Shit I'll have to tell the little mermaid to cancel the plans," Jessie smirked. They walked across the bridge until she stopped abruptly.

"Now what?" Roy asked.

"Now we sit," Jessie said.

"Here? On the bridge, that's where we're gonna eat?" Roy asked.

"Yup," Jessie shrugged, already squatting to sit on the edge. Once they were both seated, she spoke again. "I like this place."

"Wow, a place in Stars Hollow you actually like. I'm stunned," Roy said dryly.

"So what gives?" Roy asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why did you outbid Dawn like that?" Roy asked. Jessie shook her head.

"Not yet. I want to see what's in this basket first," she said, and she opened the basket to see a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, and Sunny-D. "Wow, you treat her well."

"Well I try to, but you made that very difficult," Roy said. Jessie closed the basket without touching the contents.

"Okay we can talk now," she said.

"You don't want to eat?"

"No, this is for Dawn, I'm not going to touch her food."

"I am so confused right now," Roy put his head in his hands.

"For starters, I don't like you. You aren't my type," Jessie said.

"Yeah? What is your type? Drug dealer drummer?" Roy asked. Jessie didn't let him on, but she was hurt by the comment.

"No, dorkwad, I... I don't know what my type is, but it isn't you, so make sure Dawn knows that," Jessie said.

"Okay? But why?... How?"

"The important thing is why I bid on your basket. Would you like to know?"

"Yes?" He said, his head full of confusion.

"Okay, well it's about your dad and my aunt."

"What about them?"

"They're totally into each other," she said.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, that isn't breaking news," Roy said.

"You know, your tone is a bit much," Jessie was getting irritated. Roy realized that he had been a dick to her without hearing her out. Now was the chance.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "What about my dad and Lorelai?"

"I want to get them together," she said. Roy's head perked up.

"Okay? Why? Why not let them figure it out?"

"I've put Lorelai through hell these last few months. Luke too, for that matter," Jessie started. "I want her to be happy, and I think she'll be happy with Luke." Roy thought for a moment. He would have to trust her, which was going to be hard after the bidding stunt.

"So what's the plan? 'Parent Trap' them? Trick them into being together?" Roy asked.

"Not necessarily," Jessie smiled. "I just think we can nudge them along. Because it's going to happen eventually, and everyone knows it, so why can't we quicken the process?"

"I don't want them to wait too long either," Roy agreed.

"So, tell me, how do you feel about them getting together? Are you okay with it?" Jessie asked. Roy gave her a growing smile.

"Lorelai has been more of a mom to be than my actual mother. She's taken care of me and my dad for years. She's done more for us than any of us realize," Roy said, then he chuckled lightly. "For instance, when I was 12, I had to do a project about family. We had to identify the family members and write a paragraph about how they fit those characteristics. For my dad, I wrote that he tucked me in at night and he helped me with my homework and told me to take out the trash and clean my room."

"Typical middle school mentality," Jessie laughed.

"For grandparents, I talked about William and Margret and how they were grandparents because they're my dad's parents and they buy me presents, as well as Mia for making sure we had a place to live. And then for mom, I thought about how Rachel fit the traits, but besides giving birth to me, she really wasn't like a mom. But, Lorelai fed me, Lorelai helped me with my homework like my dad did, she made sure our house was safe, and she gave me hugs every day. So I called Lorelai my 'mommy-person.' And Ms. James gave me an A for creativity," Roy said, surprising himself when he remembered it all. "And I made Lorelai a copy of her page for mother's day, thanking her for being my 'mommy-person.'"

"And how was that monologue the answer to my question?" Jessie asked. Roy rolled his eyes.

"I already think of her as a mother figure, I'd like it to be official one day. The sooner the better," Roy said. "Let's get them together." The teens smiled at each other and started to scheme.

* * *

"You know, your sandwiches actually taste better outside," Luke complimented. Lorelai smiled as she took a bite out of her burger.

"Good. Next time the roof in the diner's leaking, I'll just rip the stupid thing off," Lorelai laughed. "So this is nice, huh? Come on, admit it. The whole thing was fun."

"Never," Luke said as he looked up from his food. Lorelai saw the smirk on his lips and the smile in his eyes.

"What? Admit it, you would much rather be sitting out here than being bored in your house," Lorelai said. Luke shrugged.

"I don't know, there was a good documentary on the discovery channel today," Luke said.

"God, you're stubborn," Lorelai laughed.

"I'm stubborn?" Luke feigned astonishment.

"Yeah, you're stubborn," she shrugged.

"Coming from Miss Flexibility over here, that's rich," Luke said.

"Hey, I can be flexible," she said.

"Oh please," Luke started laughing.

"I can! As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I'm totally flexible," she smiled and winked at him.

"Oh of course, my mistake," he smiled back. There was a small pause.

"Do you want a fry?" Lorelai offered.

"You want a carrot?" Luke countered.

"Impossible," she shook her head.

"Right back at ya," Luke said, and they munched on their respective side dishes.

"So let me ask you something," Lorelai started.

"Anything," Luke said, really meaning it. Lorelai hesitated.

"Who did you want to get your basket?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, before you knew Patty was gonna put you on the Dating Game, you did pack this disgusting lunch and bring it out here, so who did you want to get it?" Luke sighed.

"Miss Patty," he mumbled.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Lorelai smirked. He glared at her.

"Miss Patty convinced me to put a basket in this year. I only agreed because she said she would bid on mine," Luke winced in anticipation of Lorelai's jokes, which never came.

"I mean that's why Sokka put in his basket all those years, because he knew I would bid on it," Lorelai said. Luke relaxed a bit.

"Next year I'm not going to risk it," Luke said, and Lorelai nodded in understanding.

"You know, it's a nice concept," Lorelai said.

"What is?" Luke asked.

"The basket thing. Just having someone who you love or have some kind of crazy crush on bid on your basket and then share a romantic lunch, it's a nice concept," Lorelai said.

"Yeah I guess," Luke said. "The basket thing wouldn't be so bad if you actually have someone to bid on it. I'm never doing this again unless I'm dating someone who will 100% for sure get my basket." Lorelai smiled at him.

"Well, someday you'll manage to find the right woman and drag her out to this thing and make her buy your stupid basket. Then you'll be sitting out here with her," Lorelai said. Luke thought for a moment about how he had done that very thing to get Lorelai to buy his basket.

"Yeah, someday," Luke said, taking another bite from his sandwich. "In the meantime, I'm glad that you were here to bail me out. Thanks again for that."

"Oh it's no big deal," Lorelai waved off.

"Without you, I would have been stuck with a stranger all afternoon. It would have been a total waste of time," Luke said.

"So being stuck with me isn't a waste of time?" Lorelai joked. Luke didn't find it funny though.

"Being with you is never a waste of time," he said honestly. Lorelai looked up at him with a small smile.

"Why-" Before she could continue, Dawn appeared on the steps of the gazebo.

"I have to talk to you," Dawn said to Luke.

"Oh, yeah, okay," Luke turned to Lorelai. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," Lorelai said. Luke smiled, knowing she was there for him. He walked down the stairs and over to the 17-year-old girl.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Luke said awkwardly.

"Uh, I'm not great," Dawn said. "I've been telling myself that it's just a silly town thing, and I tried to go home and forget about it, but I can't. I'm worried about Roy. I don't think he should be hanging out with that girl."

"You don't mean that," Luke said. "You and Jessie get along fine."

"Yeah, because I didn't think she liked him. Now all of that is out the window," Dawn said.

"You sound jealous," Luke said.

"I'm not jealous," Dawn denied unconvincingly. "She just… Roy has to be nice to everyone, you know?"

"I know. But hon, that's Roy," Luke shrugged.

"Well, she's going to get him into trouble. I can feel it, I just know it," Dawn said. They didn't realize that Lorelai could hear the entire conversation, until she stepped down from the gazebo.

"Dawn, you love Roy, right?" She said. Dawn looked guilty.

"Yeah," Dawn said without making eye contact. "Yes, I do."

"So, part of love is trust. You just have to trust Roy," Lorelai said.

"I do trust him, it's Jessie I'm worried about."

"I'll talk to her, okay?" Lorelai said.

"Okay," Dawn said. "Thank you. And I'm sorry, I…"

"It's alright," Lorelai said. She looked at Luke. "Sorry to cut the picnic short, but I have to get back to work."

"I'll see you later," Luke said. He touched her arm as he spoke, but she moved away quickly, barely feeling it.

* * *

A few hours later, Luke was watching football on the TV when Roy came back.

"Dad?" He called as he took off his shoes.

"Hey kid. Where've you been?" Luke asked.

"Oh you know, I just went to get some pizza and I, uh, wandered around the bookstore for a little while. Here," Roy said, handing his dad a book.

"What's this?" Luke asked, looking at the book cover.

"You said you wanted to read Catcher in the Rye," Roy said.

"I did?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, the other night when I was reading off Dr. Salsburg's recommended winter reading list, you said you never read it. And my copy is all covered in notes, so I wanted to get you a clean copy.

"Right, right," Luke said absently. "Well, thanks."

"You're welcome," Roy said, feeling a tension between him and his dad, and that was never good.

"So who were you with?" Luke asked.

"What?" Roy asked.

"Pizza, book buying, did you have company?" Luke asked. Roy nodded.

"Oh, yeah, I did," Roy said, suddenly looking more confident.

"Who?" Luke asked.

"It was just me and Jessie at first, then Dawn joined us," Roy shrugged.

"Oh, well that's..." Luke trailed off.

"What?"

"Did you talk to Dawn? Because when I was eating with Lorelai, Dawn came over and seemed worried."

"Yeah, well we talked and I think she's okay, we're okay," Roy shrugged. He was being oddly relaxed about the whole thing."

"You think?"

"Yup," Roy said, making eye contact with Luke, trying to bring his point across. "So, how was the picnic with Lorelai?"

"Oh, it was nice. We talked about how stupid the basket thing was," Luke said.

"But you liked it?"

"Well yeah, I guess. It was different eating with her and not in front of her, you know?"

"Yeah," Roy nodded. "Maybe you two should do it more."

"Roy," Luke warned.

"What? Friends eat together! I ate with Jessie. You eat with Sokka," Roy said. Luke rolled his eyes. Years ago, when they first met Lorelai, Roy asked Luke about his marrying Lorelai. It didn't work, obviously, and it took a while for Roy to get over it. Maybe he never did.

"Okay," Luke didn't want to get into it tonight. "Well I have to go to a meeting at the Inn in the morning, so I'm going to go to Lorelai's to get some muffins or something for it."

"Alright, see you later," Roy said, then made his way to his room. Luke grabbed his new book and his jacket, then walked over to Latte Lorelai.

* * *

"We're closing in two minutes," Lorelai called from the kitchen as soon as she heard the bells ring from the door.

"This is a robbery. I've come for all your tea," the person said. Lorelai smiled at the voice, knowing it was Luke. She dried off her hands and tightened her ponytail.

"Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me," Lorelai said as she walked behind the counter. Luke's face got all red and Lorelai laughed.

"Do you never stop?" He asked.

"Rarely, but a girl's gotta sleep. But even then I talk in my sleep, so probably not," Lorelai smiled. "What's up? How's my new favorite basket case?"

"Basket case?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, yesterday you called me the biggest basket case of them all. But now you're one of us," she explained. Luke rolled his eyes, and wanted to change the subject.

"Roy and Jessie spent the entire day together," Luke said.

"Yeah, I know," Lorelai said, sad that he came to talk about the kids, not just to talk to her _._ "And Dawn joined them, and they figured out everything."

"Oh, Jessie told you that Dawn came?" Luke asked.

"No," Lorelai laughed.

"Then how do you know?"

"Well seeming as Dawn is upstairs at this very moment, I'm sure they got everything figured out," Lorelai said.

"Dawn and Jessie, they're... hanging out? Right now? Without Roy?" Luke asked, looking toward the stairs.

"Yeah, and I haven't heard any screams or crying, so I think they're going to be fine," Lorelai said. She walked from behind the counter to lock the door and flip the sign around. "Can I get you some tea?"

"Yes, please," Luke said. "And can I get a dozen muffins? I have a meeting tomorrow morning and it's Sokka's day off."

"I only have two left from today, but I can whip up some fresh ones if you want to sit and talk for a while," Lorelai said, already tying her hair back to get the batter ready.

"You don't need to do that," Luke said. "I don't want you to go through trouble."

"Oh don't be silly. Plus they'll taste better," Lorelai said. Luke knew she was going to do whatever she wanted, and it was best to go with it.

"Okay, thank you," Luke said. Lorelai gave him some tea and started to set ingredients on the counter.

"Why didn't you tell me you put the basket in?"

"What?" Luke asked.

"I mean if I had known, I would have tried to be out there," Lorelai said, masterfully adding sugar to her bowl of butter.

"Why?" Luke asked. Lorelai panicked silently before answering.

"Well, mostly because I would have wanted to see it with my own eyes. But also, I've bought Sokka's basket for years, and in the Spring when the women put baskets in, he bids on mine. But now that he and Jackson are a thing, I didn't really have anyone I'd want to bid."

"But you'd bid on mine?"

"Well yeah, especially to protect you from the crazies," Lorelai. "What are friends for?" She held an egg toward him.

"Yeah, what are friends for," Luke repeated, grabbing the egg and cracking it into the measuring cup she set next to him. He poured it into the mixing bowl. "I didn't tell you because I was embarrassed. Plus I didn't want you to get the satisfaction of making fun of me."

"Oh yeah, that makes sense," Lorelai laughed. "The mocking would have lasted weeks."

"But you're not going to mock now?"

"Nah, not now. We were having a good time. Tomorrow, on the other hand, that's a different story," Lorelai winked. "Can you stir when I add the rest of the stuff?" She asked, and Luke nodded and leaned over the counter to get a better angle. She added baking powder, flour, and then reached for the salt shaker.

"Salt?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, it just enhances the other flavors," Lorelai said. She finished putting the ingredients in and then went under the counter to grab a muffin tin. "Can you put the wrappers in here?"

"Sure," he said. He grabbed the light brown liners and placed them in the muffin tin as Lorelai added the last ingredients: Blueberries. She stirred in half of them, then gave Luke a small ice cream scooper.

"Here, now take a scoop and plop it into the liner," she said. Luke shrugged and did what she said. Lorelai went to the storage room for a moment and Luke focused on his pouring. As a naturally bad cook, he became very aware that he was making muffins, and they didn't look half bad. He smirked to himself, and a second later he saw a flash and heard a click. Lorelai was standing at the end of the counter with a Polaroid camera.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luke asked.

"I wanted evidence that you can, in fact, bake," she smiled.

"I did not. I just did what you told me to do," Luke shrugged.

"Yeah, you followed directions, that's all baking is," Lorelai said.

"But you don't follow directions! You already know what to do before you do it," Luke said. Lorelai walked over to the counter and took the scooper from his hands, their fingers touching briefly.

"That's because muffins are literally the easiest thing to make. And I've been making them for 20 years, so I know my shit," Lorelai laughed. Luke took the scooper back and finished the tin. Lorelai smiled at how much fun he was having, and went to preheat the oven, one step she forgot to do earlier. She came back out to Luke, who was picking blueberries out of the bowl.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lorelai asked. Luke was caught blue handed as he was about to drop another berry in his mouth.

"I thought you were done," he said. Lorelai shook her head.

"Blueberries are heavy, so I add some a few minutes into baking so they stay on the top," Lorelai said. Luke nodded. Lorelai sprinkle sugar on the top then went to put them into the oven. She came back with two beers and sat next to Luke on the stools. Lorelai just kept smiling at him.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"You, Lucas Rockwell Gilmore, just made some muffins," she said.

"I'll drink to that," Luke deadpanned. They clinked their glasses and laughed together. They laughed and talked and drank for 20 minutes until the muffins were done, and after they took them out, they talked for an hour longer.

"I better get going," Luke said after his third beer. "The meeting is early. Thank you, again, for helping me with the muffins."

"Thank _you_ for helping me with the muffins," Lorelai said. "Admit it, you had fun making them."

"Yeah, I did," he said with a smile. A non-sarcastic response threw Lorelai off.

"We should do it again sometime," Lorelai said. Luke nodded in agreement.

"I'd like that," he said. They were sitting close to each other, her foot was propped up on his stool and his arm was resting on the counter, his hand by her shoulder. She leaned back and stretched, then pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair. Her hair was longer than it had ever been, and after she shook it out, it fell against his hand on the counter. He unconsciously played with the ends of her hair, and they sat in silence for a moment.

"So what do you think the deal is with the kids?" Lorelai asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"I have no idea. I'm just glad there's no bloodshed yet," Luke said, still fingering through her hair.

"Me too," she said. It felt good to have her hair played with. She wanted to bring up what Jessie had said earlier. She wanted to ask him about the looks they've exchanged for years. What she really wanted to do is feel Luke's hand hold the back of her head as they kissed. She physically shook her head to get the thoughts out of her head, but that caused Luke's hand to back away.

They continued to talk until the muffins were finished, then Luke said he needed to go. Lorelai boxed up the muffins as he cleaned up the counter.

"Thanks again," he said. "This was fun." He knew that they already had this conversation, but he wanted to postpone the leaving process.

"Maybe we should do weekly baking lessons," Lorelai proposed. "We can drink and talk while I teach you how not to burn your house down."

"I'd like that," Luke said. She handed him the box after he put his coat on. Their hands brushed for a moment, and they both felt a spark.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Lorelai asked. Luke nodded.

"I'll see you then, basket case," he said. They laughed as he exited, neither of them wanting the night to end just yet.

On his walk home, Luke thought about that spark. That spark was recurring, and it happened almost every time they touched. Luke knew that the spark would either light them up or burn them down. Time would tell.

* * *

 **Well there it is! I have an idea of where I'm going with this, but I would LOVE some comments about how you think Roy and Jessie are going to get Luke and Lorelai together.  
**

 **I have no idea when my next chapter is going to come up. I'm taking five, FIVE, English classes this semester so I will be pretty busy, but I will do my best to update in the next couple months. If you want to get alerted when I do update, follow this story, maybe favorite it while you're at it.**

 **Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful week! Spread some love!**


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